


Law&Order: SU

by yubble



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Relationships, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Law Enforcement, Alternate Universe - Lawyers, F/F, Human Trafficking, Law Enforcement, Lawyers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2018-09-21 17:07:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9558740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yubble/pseuds/yubble
Summary: This is a Human AU revolving around Pearl - a fresh new lawyer in D.C. who works alongside detectives Garnet, Bismuth, and sergeant Jasper as they solve hard-hitting cases and put away vicious criminals. However, the precinct in which they work is more complex than it seems, and crime may not only take place on the outside. As relationships blossom and dramas develop, can pearl handle the pressure of work and her social life? Can she even manage to separate the two?I'll add more tags as I figure out what they are, lol. Mature scenes will come later, and there will be clear warnings beforehand in case some people are uncomfortable with that. Feedback is greatly appreciated, and check out my tumblr: draw-ologyHope you enjoy the show! :)





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Smoke and Grit](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8609827) by [TheTruthHertz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTruthHertz/pseuds/TheTruthHertz). 



> First chapter, hope you enjoy! no mature scenes in this one, just taking it slow for now, building the tension and plot!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl's first day at work is full of new environments, faces, and personalities. What will she think of her new colleagues? And what do they think of her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy

       It was a quiet morning. The sun crept sheepishly through the old shades that covered Pearls bedroom window. The soft light teased her eyes as she awoke from her deep slumber. A low groan escaped from inside her throat as she pulled her pillow over her head. Her chest welled with a sigh as she longed for the sweet release of rest again. However, once she was awake, there was no possibility of her falling back asleep. She eventually persuaded herself to sit up and run long, delicate fingers through her pale orange hair. Her back contorted into a satisfying stretch, and she swung her limber legs out of bed.

      As she made her way to the bathroom, she mentally cursed herself for staying up so late. She just had to make sure everything was in order for the first day of her new job. All those years in law school and she still had not gotten a handle of her time management skills. She was meticulous with organization though; her packed leather bag and black suit for the day laid out on the desk across from her bed. As she got ready for the day, a small seed of uneasiness grew in her stomach. She draped her suit jacket over her shoulders and methodically fiddled with the lapels until they were just right. Slipping on her heels, she realized just how nervous she was about moving into D.C. to work for the states attorney’s office. She was a long way from her home in South Carolina, where she was born and raised for the past 28 years. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, based off an application she filled out on a whim - that yielded a call from the district attorney. He drawled on about how impressed he was with her credentials and that he would look forward to seeing what she could do in the city. And just like that, she was packed up in her beat down Rav4, praying that the old machine would make the 9-hour drive to her new apartment in the District of Columbia.

      Pearl locked eyes on the clock in the kitchen, watching the hands tick away as she finished her tea. 8:15am. Just enough time to get to the precinct early. She rinsed out her dishes and smoothed out her pencil skirt. As she made her way out the door, she made sure to kiss her fingers and press them against the diploma that hung proudly over the picture of her late mother. She smiled sadly, remembering her mother’s dying wish for Pearl to be a successful lawyer - to put away the bad guys who hurt innocent people. She closed the door to her apartment behind her, and started out on her walk to new beginnings.

      Pearl stood in the doorway of the 3rd precinct of D.C, unsure what to do. She checked the watch that adorned her wrist; 8:45am. She scanned the room, looking for some semblance of direction to meet with the sergeant. What was his name again? Jasper? She glanced over the empty seats that sat in front of messy desks. Papers were strewn about, writing materials dropped haphazardly over top of half completed case files. Coffee cups and fast food wrappers littered the floor around trash cans that were far too small to withhold the vast amounts of trash. She was so immersed in her mental disgust for the deplorable conditions of the room that she didn’t notice the massive figure looming over her from behind. A strong, mighty hand that clamped itself on the entirety of her bony shoulder. Immediate panic sprung from her chest, and she turned sharply to confront her attacker, letting out a shrill gasp.

              The figure that stood in front of her was burly, tall, and to Pearl’s surprise, a woman. She was dressed in a black pantsuit, with a clean white dress shirt underneath. It was pinned up at the collar with a soft pink tie. Her thick, blonde hair strained against the black hairband that pulled it into a huge ponytail. Her bangs were swept over piercing hazel eyes - so bright they almost seemed to glow yellow under the fluorescent lights. Her skin was lightly sun-kissed, with a smattering of vitiligo that dashed across her face. She looked down on Pearl, both literally and figuratively, in a way that made Pearl feel like a small child. Then, a wide, toothy grin broke through ample lips.

              “Hey kid, you must be that new lawyer!” A booming laugh erupted from the tall woman’s chest. “Now what’s a lil’ thing like you doing in this big city, huh?”

              Pearls face twisted in repulsion, the woman’s breath was thick with the scent of stale cigarettes, “Can you tell me where I might find the sergeant? I’m supposed to be meeting with him this morning…” came her feeble response.

              The woman looked at her in surprise, and out came another laugh. Pearl could’ve sworn the rafters shook in response. “Well, you’re looking right at her, you idiot! Sergeant Jasper of the 3rd precinct. Geez, I guess it really is true what they say about southern people being a little slow. Not much excitement down there, huh new kid?”

              Jasper nudged her elbow in between Pearls ribs with a force that left her momentarily breathless. Pearl gingerly rubbed the area and forced out an unconvincing laugh in reply. While this exchange was taking place, she didn’t notice the detectives who filed silently into the room. Heat rose in her cheeks as she felt their stares. They were sizing her up, although there wasn’t much to see. Pearl was a mouse amongst lions; the detectives stood well over her and were twice her width at least. They stood proudly, arms crossed over their chests as they waited for their sergeant to introduce them.

              From left to right, Jasper introduced her detectives, “This right here is Bismuth. She’s a brute, eh? Legend has it, she once wrangled two opposing gang members at the same time! I would know, I was there getting the other three!” Another burst of booming laughter; Pearl eyed a cup warily as it shook a little too close to the edge of one of the tables. She turned her focus back on Bismuth. The giant had wide shoulders, and arms even bigger than Jasper’s. They bulged against the seams of her charcoal grey pantsuit, that looked a little worn and even a bit tattered. Underneath she wore a cream-colored button up in similar condition. Pearl tried not to zero in on what looked suspiciously like a coffee stain. Her shoes were just as abysmal – scuffed, torn, they looked as if they had been through hell. Probably all that wrangling gang members. Pearl thought wryly. Bismuths eyes were small for her face, and a very dark brown that almost looked black. Her hair was in dreads of all different shades of brown – as if Bismuth had gotten highlights that faded over time. Bismuth regarded Pearl with a similar study; taking in her wiry frame and clean-pressed skirt and jacket. A string of pearls adorned her long neck, sitting atop a light blue blouse that ruffled in the front. She was a ginger; her light orange hair cut in a sharp bob that was a little shorter in the back than the front. Her eyes seemed to take up most her thin face; an icy blue that gave Bismuth chills when their eyes met.

              “And this Aphrodite,” Jasper announced, pulling Pearl from her analysis of Bismuth, “Is Garnet. Ain’t she something pretty?” Jasper made her way around and punched Garnet in the arm. As Pearl focused in, her breath caught in her throat. The woman was certainly something. Pretty was an understatement. Garnet’s curly black locks leaped out at all angles from her head, filling up into a thick, large afro. Her skin was a rich, dark brown that seemed to glisten under the lights. She was wearing a dark blue pantsuit that brought out the red hue in her plump lips and button nose. The black collared shirt that she wore underneath was stretched under her voluptuous figure – wide hips and large thighs that strained the buttons of her jacket and pants. She wore black, shiny boots with a small heel. Her accessories consisted of a large, brass ring on the middle finger of her left hand, and dark tinted sunglasses that shielded her eyes, even though they were inside. Pearl struggled to make out the pupils that hid behind them. She couldn’t tell if Garnet was looking at her or not, and that made her very uneasy. Pearl was unaware of how long she had been staring at Garnet – captivated by her beauty – until a quiet, morose voice whispered in her ear.

              “You’re staring, you know,” it spoke softly, which took Pearl by surprise and snapped her out of her trance. Her head swiveled around to find a young woman, not much bigger than Pearl, making her way around to where the others were standing. The woman’s skin was pale, with almost a blue hue underneath. Her eyes were a pretty, royal blue, and were slightly sunken into her face. Her hair was thick, and cut into a similar bob as Pearl’s – although it was dark brown. Pearl watched as the woman stuffed a makeup compact into her purse. She wasn’t in a suit like the others; instead she wore an officers uniform that fit snugly against her athletic frame. Pearl was stricken by the cold black gun that hung off the officers rounded hips. She almost didn’t notice the officer stick out her hand to Pearl.

              “Lapis,” She said with an almost apathetic tone as Pearl shook her hand, “Lapis Lazuli.” She glided over to stand beside Jasper, who cupped her had tightly over Lapis’ shoulder. Pearl thought she saw something flicker in Lapis’ eyes, but she couldn’t make out what exactly it was. She chose to ignore it, as it was now her turn to introduce herself.

              “Pearl,” she stated confidently, thrusting out her hand to one of the detectives for a shake of her own, “I’m your new A.D.A – that is – assistant district attorney. I’ll be the one handling all your cases and trying them in cou-“

              Garnet cut her off, “We know what an A.D.A is. We’ve had four before you in this year alone.”

              Pearl paused, unsure of how to respond. Her hand went limp as she lowered it by her side. She was taken back by the curt attitude that she was receiving from Garnet. Bismuth just snickered softly and Lapis turned her head, trying to hide her smirk. Even Jasper’s eyes lit up, as if they were all in on some hilarious secret that Pearl had yet to discover. Something told Pearl that A.D.A.’s didn’t last long in this precinct.

              Well, they didn’t know Pearl. She steeled herself, cleared her throat, and stared Garnet dead in the eye – well – sunglasses, “Well, then I guess I’m lucky number five.” She turned to Jasper, who’s face had surprise etched all over it, “Sergeant Jasper, I look forward to working with you and your staff. If you need me, I’ll be in my office setting up. Let me know when you catch a case.”

              And with that, she turned on the heel of her black pumps and strutted out of the 3rd precinct, not slowing down until she was in the elevator. The A.D.A.’s had their offices on the 7th floor - while the D.A.’s were across the street in the courthouse, along with the judges. Pearl let her shoulders fall as she pulled up the large mahogany and glass door to her new office. The smell of old wood, paper, and the scents of past lawyers flooded her long, slanted nose. She examined every inch of the room; running her hands over the tan colored walls and cherry desk. She let her bag drop bitterly on the desk, finally reaching the sizable, burgundy leather chair behind it. Plopping down, she let out an exasperated groan. Her nimble fingers rubbed the side of her temple, and she slouched further down into her seat. Had she really made a complete ass of herself in the precinct? Storming out like that – what a joke! She began to question whether she was cut out for this fast-paced city job. Tears stung the back of her eyes, threatening to come to fruition. She sat up abruptly and forced them back in a hard swallow. No. She wasn’t about to let a bunch of hard-ass detectives get the best of her on her first day here. She began to unpack her leather briefcase, arranging her desk materials in a meticulous fashion. After a few deep breaths, she checked her watch. 9:30am. Only 7 and a half more hours to go for the day, and only the rest of her life ahead of her after that. Resting her elbow on the desk, she propped her chin in her hand, wondering what kind of case she would be handling first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just setting the scene for now, more action packed chapters to come! Feedback greatly appreciated.


	2. Pained Indifference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl's first day at work is far from over. In fact, it's just begun. As she catches her first case, she quickly realizes that this position is nothing like what she dealt with back home. She's stuck between a rock and a hard place, when she realizes that law is not always black and white.
> 
> There is some graphic detailing of a crime scene in this chapter!!!! its brief. if you're triggered by gore-ish stuff, beware!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a head's up: There is some graphic detailing of a crime scene in this chapter!!!! its brief. if you're triggered by gore-ish stuff, beware!!!! Additionally: I'm an undergrad college student. I'm studying criminology and criminal justice. This means that I'm NOT an expert at law, due process, and specifics pertaining to the CJ system. I'll try my best to keep things accurate, but I'm still learning. I appreciate your understanding of my latitude in advance. Enjoy!

Pearl was bent over a stack of old files, analyzing police reports and trial transcripts. She wanted to be familiar with the past A.D.A.'s works, in order to better prepare herself for what was to come. She couldn't shake the words out of her head that Garnet spoke. "Four before you" echoed in Pearls ears. What happened to those A.D.A.'s?

 _I know that this is the city, and it's probably ridden with crime, but the job couldn't be that stressful right? The burnout rate can't be_ that _high,_ She reassured to herself. She was also perplexed by the unexpected amount of female law enforcement that she had been met with. Back home in the south, she was the only female lawyer in her town, never mind the police and detectives. And the only reason she was, was because her father was chief of police.

 _Well, it's 2016._ Women could be anything they wanted to be and more. Maybe the gender transition would be a beneficial one. It would be nice not to have to deal with the superiority complexes of so many men. However...it could also prove to be a distraction - all those  strong, beautiful women in one room. Especially the one with the glasses; Garnet. Pearl shivered a bit, she hadn't felt that way since…

Pearl shook her head. That woman was rude and coarse to her. Sure, she was essentially built like a goddess - and just as tall -  but Pearl wasn't the type to mix business with pleasure. Images of Garnet's plush hair and full lips flickered in and out of her mind. She mentally let her eyes travel down, catching glimpses of her round, full -

 A knock at the door startled Pearl out of her thoughts, pulling her back down into reality. Unsettled, she rustled around her papers and squeaked out an announcement that the door was, "Open!" She cleared her throat as the uniformed officer from before - Lapis - poked her head in. She looked over Pearl's flustered state with utter apathy. Her mouth grew into a tight line as she stood in the doorway silently.

 Pearl grew uneasy, and ran her hand haphazardly through her short hair, "Yes…?"

 "We caught one," Lapis announced in a deadpan voice.

 "Caught what exactly?" Pearl mumbled in uncertainty.

"A case," a tiny smirk formed on Lapis' lips, "And it's a big one."

 With that, the sullen figure turned and began to strut down the hallway. Heart racing, Pearl scrambled the contents of her desk into her bag and hurried after her, anticipation coursing through her body.

 ______ 

Her mouth fell slightly open as Pearl approached the scene. Dozens of law enforcement flooded in and out of the alleyway that was blocked off by copious amounts of caution tape. Flashing lights from ambulances and cop cars stung Pearl's retinas, as she scanned the crowd to try and find the other detectives from this morning. The SUV that she was riding in had barely stopped on the curb when she was already opening the door and stepping out. Lapis followed suit with a chilled indifference, as if she had seen this disarray often before. Pearls heart was pounding in her ears by the time she reached the edge of the crime scene. The tape was lifted up for her by an anonymous officer, and as she passed under it she got a look of the floor of the alleyway. Blood pooled in the grooves of the asphalt, and pieces of organ were splattered around. Pearl stood, frozen in place as she took in the rest of the scene. A man - or what was left of him - lay broken in the middle of the blood, limbs twisted at heinous positions. Around the victim, crime scene units and forensic specialists were collecting samples, data, and taking pictures. While everyone around her was acting as if this was a regular Monday morning, Pearl grew pale. Her vision began to swim and she found herself leaning off balance.

She almost took a nose dive straight into the ground when a large body pressed up against her, steadying her. She looked up to find Garnet, neutral faced behind those big sunglasses, standing wordlessly at her side. Heat rose in the bottom of Pearl's chest, making her suddenly aware of the lurching in her stomach. She plunged past Garnet in a desperate attempt to reach the dumpsters off to the side, where she spontaneously retched. Luckily, the only thing in her stomach was tea. Her face was on fire, burning from the embarrassment of getting sick in front of her new coworkers. She could hear Jasper's booming laugh filling the alleyway as she pointed out Pearl's inability to handle the sight of a dead body. The words "rookie" and "novice" were thrown around by the other detectives and some CSU members. Garnet came up from behind her, and although she said nothing, she handed Pearl some napkins. Coughing, Pearl snatched them out of her hand and sputtered out a fierce thank you. She was still annoyed about Garnet's remarks, but was absolutely fuming that this would probably only make Garnet and the others see her as more of a joke than they already did. 

After cleaning her face, she turned back to the scene promptly. She attempted to smooth out her suit and ignore the snickers of passing individuals. Once alongside the detectives, she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. Bismuth wore a toothy grin, and offered Pearl some reassurance.

"Don't sweat it, Small Stuff," She explained. Pearl's mouth screwed up tightly at her new nickname, "You should've seen me on my first day working a homicide. Chunks. Everywhere."

Pearls stomach roiled at the thought, but with a few deep breaths through her nose, she managed to subdue the urge to hurl again. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind…" She grumbled.

Bismuth laughed and gave Pearl a friendly slap on the back with enough force to knock her off balance. Pearl wrung her hands together downheartedly. This was definitely something she wasn't used to. She had only seen one body back in South Carolina, and the victim took a clean shot to the heart. A married man, caught in an affair, murdered by his wife. The burden of honor was heavy in the south, and the law of personal restitution was greater than the law of the land. What lay in front of her couldn't have been done by some scorned housewife. This was done by a true monster. 

"I think it's that homeless man again," Jasper pronounced. Pearl looked up at the sergeant, who was shaking her head with her hands on her hips, "A damn shame. He must be off his meds again." 

"You think one man did this?" Pearl questioned in bewilderment.

"He's delusional and paranoid, poor guy. Completely convinced that people can be overtaken by government made machines that target him." Jasper glared at the body as if it was his own fault that he died, "This isn't the first time this has happened. He kills them with his bare hands. Just look as this poor fuck, he's ripped apart at the seams."

Pearl chose to take Jaspers word for it and forego looking at the body, to spare the risk of throwing up again. "Well, can you apprehend him quickly? I wouldn't want him to hurt anyone else. He needs serious help."

Jasper shrugged, "He shouldn’t be too hard to find. He's probably covered in blood right now. I'll have my squad canvas his regular spots. When we bring him in for questioning, we'll call you. Try not to puke at the sight of him either." She snuck in that sly remark that cut like a knife through Pearls queasy stomach. Then Jasper walked off, chuckling, as detectives Garnet and Bismuth followed suit in an orderly fashion.

 ____

 Pearl had only just settled back into her office when the phone on her desk began to ring. She sighed and rubbed her temples, letting it trill loudly for awhile. It was well past lunch time, but she didn't feel much like eating anyways. Her stomach was still in knots from throwing up. She had managed to wash her mouth out with a heaping amount of the travel sized Listerine kept in her purse. Pearl picked up the phone loosely in her nimble fingers and pressed it against the side of her face.

 "State's attorney's office, A.D.A. Pearl speaking," She spoke.

 A low toned voice came from the other end, it sent chills up Pearls spine when she realized who it was, "We got him in interview room one. Jasper wants you here now." Garnet.

 Before Pearl could respond the line went dead. She sat there, mouth open, stricken by the fact that she wasn't able to respond with a simple, "I'm on my way". She slammed down the phone and huffed loudly. She decided right then and there; Garnet was incorrigible and Pearl wanted nothing to do with her.

 Her shoes clicked coldly on the tile floor as she strutted into the squad room, a few floors below her office. Her jaw was clenched; in part by the irritation she felt toward the rude detective, but also because she was steeling herself for the perp she was about to see. She made her way past Lapis, who was sitting at a desk, scribbling out witness statements. She didn't even bother to look up when Pearl passed, but that didn't bother Pearl all that much. She liked Lapis albeit her sullen, apathetic attitude. Pearl reached the door with a large 1 displayed above. She had no qualms about pushing the door open and stepping into the dark room, but her nose scrunched up in distaste when she spotted Garnet. The detective didn't even bother to turn around and acknowledge Pearl; Jasper was the one who guided her over to the large window. She peeked out at the room on the other side of the glass. She had observed interrogations many times before, so she wasn't fazed by the knowledge that the two way mirror prevented the perp from seeing her. Bismuth sat with her back facing the window, leaning into the steel chair comfortably.

 On the other side, Pearl inspected the large mass crumpled in the opposite chair. It was a dirty, large man. His clothes ragged and frayed, his hair unkempt and beard unruly. He had a nasty rash on the parts of his hands and face that weren't caked in dried blood. Pearl grimaced. He hadn't even bothered to clean himself off after the attack. He twitched arbitrarily, the corners of his mouth rising up with the flickering of his fingers against the table.

 "Hank…" Bismuth began in a soft voice that surprised Pearl. "Do you know what you did…? It wasn't good."

 Hank twitched for awhile, registering the detectives words before he abruptly slammed his hands on the table and began to scream, "They're coming for me, Martha! They want my brains! They're going to take me away, you silly bitch!"

 Bismuth stayed poised, and the inflection in her voice didn't change when she spoke again, "You stopped taking your medicine. That isn't good. You promised the doctors you would."

 "They were feeding me growth hormones! Trying to enlarge my head so they could make the best use of my brain! Don’t you understand? They're all in on it!" His breathing was ragged and his jaundiced eyes darted around the room.

 "We only want to help you, Hank. But you have to tell me the truth - did you kill that man?" Bismuth leaned forward toward the homeless man in sympathy.

 "Of course I did! It was either me or him and I'm not going down without a fight!" Hank slammed his fist on the table and shot up from his chair, knocking it over. It clattered against the tile floor, startling Pearl, who had been watching the scene unfold before her.

 She breathily muttered under hear breath, "That would've been my confession if he wasn't so damn crazy."

 "Then get him lucid on Haloperidol, and get a confession that's admissible in court." A stern mans voice cut through the thick tension in the room.

 The three women whirled around to find a tall, serious man in an expensive pinstriped suit. His salt and pepper hair was slicked back toward the base of his neck, and his clean shaven face was downturned into an authoritative frown. It was the same man who hired her; district attorney Parker Martinez. His shoulders were slack and his hands rested comfortably in his pockets.

 "Court?" Pearl echoed, "I'm not going to try him, I mean look at him." She turned back to face the man in the interrogation room who was now huddled in a ball on the floor.

 "This isn't the first time he's killed. Last time he got off by going to the mental hospital, and look where he is now. On the streets again, killing again." The D.A. seemed disinterested.

 "You know his defense lawyer will cop an insanity plea," Pearl reasoned, "A jury will never find him guilty, he'll get acquitted!"

 Martinez stared down at her with disinterest, "The people of this city want men like him off the streets. They'll convict once you show them how much of a danger he is to their neighbors, children, relatives. Make it happen. Charge him and take him to trial unless you can get him to sign a plea that puts him away for good."

 "But sir-" Pearl began, but the man was already on his way out the door, he raised a hand loftily in her direction.

 "Make it happen A.D.A. Get his lucid confession and start typing up those charging documents. I want him at arraignment by tomorrow."

 Pearl stood, baffled by what just transpired. She stared at the empty doorway for while, before slowly turning back around to regard the perp. He was still on the floor, tears streaming down his face as he babbled incoherently. Pearl's pink toned skin flushed grey.

 "This is my first case…and I'm going to lose." She choked out, ignoring the pained looks from sergeant Japer and detective Garnet. Bismuth came out of the room, and motioned for two uniformed officers to take Hank away.

 "I feel so bad for that guy," Bismuth confessed to the three women standing before her. "He's so messed up. What he really needs is some treatment and care… Don’t you agree?"

 None of the women responded. They all just watched their perp get taken away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that 1. its posted so late and 2. that its (sort of?) a cliffhanger. I'm actually planning on uploading another chapter soon. I try to post every Saturday night (EST). But i'm excited about the next chapter so i might post early. Feedback appreciated, hope you enjoyed!


	3. Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl continues to uncover the complicated inner workings of her new job, and the people who work against her (as well as alongside her). Additionally, this is sort of a valentines day treat! definitely don't expect weekday posts that often, but I had to get this one out of my head!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm taking this real slow, but I have big big plans for this story to run pretty long. Enjoy! No warnings for this one, unless you don't ship Lapidot lol

Pearl stood stiffly in the jail infirmary. Dirty couldn't even begin to describe the conditions of the dimly lit room. The odor was ferocious, and Pearl fought to only breathe subtly through her mouth, although she wondered in disdain what microorganisms she was inhaling. The floor looked as if it had never been cleaned - with dust and unknown substances sprawled out on the concrete. The patient beds were stained and the metal that held them up was rusted. Pearl wondered if most of the individuals who came in here ended up getting worse, rather than better. The entirety of the deplorable conditions made Pearl itchy. As she absentmindedly scratched at her forearm, she looked to Bismuth for direction.

 "Hank," Bismuth began in that same soft voice that she used in the interrogation room. "Are you feeling better?"

 Hank lay motionless in one of the dingy patient beds. Pearl could see his wrists were handcuffed to the railings on either side. He stayed quiet for a long moment, staring at Bismuth with an unreadable expression.

 "If by better," he croaked out, "You mean marred by complete guilt, then yes. I suppose so."

 Pearl fought to not let her mouth fall open in surprise. Not only was this a completely different man from the person she watched fall apart a few days ago, but he was almost eloquent with the way he spoke.

 "Don't say that, Mr. Roe!" The man standing beside his bed hissed, glaring at detective Bismuth as if she had made him say it. "You don't have to answer any of their questions."

 He was Hank's defense attorney. He was a plain man with short cropped brown hair and matching boring eyes. He wore an ill-fitted suit and cheap black shoes.

 "No," Hank whimpered, shaking his head, "I know what I've done. I'm not going to hide behind the fifth amendment. I'm going to make a confession, right here. Right now."

 His defense attorney began to object, but Hank cut him off, "I killed that man. In the alleyway. Give me some paper and I'll write a full confession. Whatever you need me to do."

 Pearl quickly obtained a confession slip out of her bag and brought a pen alongside it. She walked sheepishly toward the side of the bed, holding out the paper to Hank. Her opponent, the defense lawyer, burned holes in her skull with his eyes _. If looks could kill…_ Pearl thought _._ When Hank reached up to grab the paper from her, his finger brushed against hers. It was old and rough, but Pearl was surprised about how warm it was. Her eyes traveled up to meet his, and peered into smoky grey irises. They were fractured, however, under the weight of the guilt of what he had done. They looked just as tired as he did, as if all the years of fighting his own mind and the lives of two innocent men on his hands was too much to bear. He broke the eye contact first, looking down to the paper and beginning to write out each vivid detail of the murder he committed just two days before.

 Within the hour, Pearl had her confession - signed, dated, and placed safely back in her bag. Bismuth was by Hank's bedside, looking down on him with pity.

 "Feel better Hank. This too shall pass." She reassured him. His defense attorney just scoffed and rolled his eyes.

 "I think it's time for you to go. I need to confer with my client privately." He sneered, waving a hand toward the door. As Pearl and Bismuth left the room, the defense attorney followed them outside and shit the door behind him.

 "Listen, I know the D.A. wants him put away for life." He relented to Pearl, "But this case has insanity plea written all over it. I may just be a public defender, but I'm not giving up an easy win just so you can please your boss."

 Pearl's skin began to crawl with disgust, "That's too bad, then, that you're client just gave us his confession. He's pleading guilty. You can't have a trial with a client who pleads guilty."

 "Oh no," the attorney smirked, "I'll convince him to change his plea. He's vulnerable right now. We're pleading not guilty by reason of insanity and we'll see your sorry ass in court." And with that, he stalked back into the infirmary, shutting the door behind him.

 Pearls face grew hot as she watched him leave, but not with embarrassment. She was _pissed._ She looked over to Bismuth, who's hands and jaw were both clenched. This defense attorney was going to drag a fragile man through an entire trial, where he would be put up on the stand and ripped apart.

  _By me._ Pearl remembered.

 The drive back to the precinct was quiet. Once inside, Pearl retreated, defeated to her office. Within a few hours, the call came that Hank Roe was pleading not guilty, and that she should get together her charging documents and begin prepping for the grand jury. No witnesses, but there was a preponderance of evidence against Hank. There was a 100% chance of the jury indicting. Pearl sighed heavily, she better get started.

\----

 A few days later, Pearl was typing up her depositions. As per her assumption, the grand jury indicted, Hank was remanded to the district jail without bail, and opening statements for the trial were to happen the next day. Once finished, she  printed them out to take to her paralegal. She could've emailed or faxed it, but sitting in that old leather chair for the last few hours made Pearl ache to get some semblance of exercise. Or, at least to just stretch her legs. After pulling her arms up to stretch out her back, she gathered up her things and made way for the door. She opened it only halfway when she felt it jerk back after hitting mass. Her eyes widened as she quickly stepped out, to see what she had struck.

 A small woman, sprawled out on the floor from the impact, groaned in a high inflection. A slew of  curses left her lips, as her light green eyes shot up at Pearl. She had golden blonde hair that bordered her face and sloped out around the base of her neck. Her skin was fair  with a yellow undertone , and a faint smattering of freckles dotted her nose. Her large eyes were covered by equally large, round metal classes. Her body was petite, although her bust and hips curved out in a slight hourglass form. She wore a plain black skirt suit; crisp and neat overtop a soft green blouse. A jeweled, viridescent broach was clipped just over the left side of her bosom. She scrambled up to her feet and inspected her large smartphone, ensuring that it wasn't damaged by her fall.

 "Open doors, much?" She spit out at Pearl, her eyes bright with annoyance. Standing up straight she hovered just below Pearl's shoulder.

 Pearl couldn't believe this tiny woman had the audacity to blame Pearl for her blunder. "Walk much?" She mimicked, "Can't you tell when a door is opening?"

 The woman opened her mouth to make a retort, but couldn't come up with a clever response, "Whatever, I'm too busy for this right now."

 She brushed past, but Pearl stopped her, "Wait! Are you a lawyer here?"

 "I'm an A.D.A.," the woman explained, trying to appear bored, "Peridot. You must be the newbie, right? Figures you would make such a tremulous blunder." She was referring to the door fiasco of two minutes ago, and Pearl fought to keep her eyes from rolling into the back of her head.

 "What sector do you work in?" Pearl inquired.

 "I typically work in cyber crimes, but I'm filling in for violent crimes today."

 Pearl looked confused, violent crimes was where she worked. "Why?"

 Peridot shrugged, "They said their A.D.A had her hands full, so I'm just helping out."

 Pearl blinked, and then a small heated seed of annoyance sprang up from her stomach, "Peridot, mind if I tag along to the precinct with you?"

"Hm. Suit yourself, newbie." She pushed up her glasses and made her way down the hallway, Pearl following closely behind.

\----

 "Hands full?" Pearl stood with her hands on her hips while a seemingly disinterested Jasper sat behind her desk. She was picking at her nails and avoiding Pearls icy blue eyes. "I have one case!"

Jasper sighed in exasperation, "You're first case. A difficult case. I'm making sure you don't overwhelm yourself, Pearl." 

Pearl's shoulders began to tremble as she felt the seed growing bigger in the pits of her stomach. "I can handle this case and any other case in _my_ sector! This isn't my first year out of law school, you know! I've been working multiple cases at a time for at least three years now!"

Jasper turned to face Pearl, visibly irritated now. "Not in this city and not in this area of work. Look at you, you're still green! I put in a request to have Peridot take over this new case we caught and after that we'll give the rest to you. Martinez agrees; you need to put all your focus on the Hank case."

Pearl looked to Peridot, to see what her take on this was, but found her to be distracted. She was staring out the window at something. Pearl groaned and rubbed her temple. She couldn't believe how much of a joke this was. She was more than prepared to take on a full work load in her first week here, but was met with this resistance. "There's no way for me to get around this, is there?" She felt defeated.

Jasper shook her head. "Just deal with it, dude. Everyone - including Martinez - will be watching how you handle your first case. Take the extra time to come up with a bulletproof plan. Your job depends on it."

Pearl decided not to respond; she just left the office, glowering. She didn't notice that Peridot left alongside her until she passed Pearl and walked up next to the desk where Lapis was sitting with her head bent down over paperwork. Peridot timidly rocked back and forth on her heels, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Pearl watched her index finger scratch absentmindedly at the middle finger of her opposite hand.

"Oh, h-hey Lazuli," Peridot stammered out as if she had just stumbled across Lapis on accident, instead of purposefully walking right up to her. "What's um.. Up?"

 At first, Pearl thought Lapis was going to completely ignore Peridot, seeing as she didn't move an inch or acknowledge the small woman in any way. Pearl was beginning to think that maybe Lapis hadn't heard her, but then she watched her dark brown hair shift as she turned her head slowly. An audible gasp from Peridot matched the growing astonishment in Pearls eyes. The left side of Lapis' face was normal, but the right cheekbone and eye socket sported a deep bruise. Licks of blue and purple curled around the apples of her cheeks and brow bone, intensifying the dull blue hue of her irises.

"Holy shit, Lapis," Pearl began when Peridot could do nothing except stare in horror, "what happened?"

Lapis looked down her pen and tapped it repeatedly on the desk, "I was chasing a perp and got slammed, no big deal." She explained in a lifeless voice. "I tried to put makeup on it this morning but it didn't work."

Pearl was trying to figure out what to say to her in consolation when the door to Jasper's office flew open behind her. The audible slam made Peridot and Pearl swirl around immediately, missing the cringe that Lapis displayed. Jasper stood, a stern look etched in her face. Her full, blonde eyebrows furrowed into her glowing yellow eyes.

"Lazuli," she barked, "Stop fraternizing with the attorney's. Come here. We have work to do."

 Lapis rose from her seat slowly, wincing. Pearl wondered if she had bruises that matched her face on the rest of her body. The sullen officer made her way slowly over to the doorway in which Jasper was standing. The sergeant placed an authoritative hand on the small of Lapis' back and guided her into the room before shutting the door harshly. The blinds were closed now, so Pearl was unable to see what was going on behind the window pane.

 A heavy sigh from Peridot caught Pearls attention. "Come on," the small attorney began to walk away, "we should get back to work too."

Pearl and Peridot were alone in the elevator, heading back up to their offices before Pearl decided to break the silence, "You like her, don't you? Lapis."

Peridot began to color in her cheeks and she shifted the weight in her hips, "M-Me? What? No! That's absurd-" 

"Absurdly obvious," Pearl rolled her eyes. "You should let her know."

Peridot blushed harder and gritted her teeth,  "I don't like her!! Besides," she rubbed her arm and looked to the floor with downcast eyes, "it wouldn't matter anyways."

"And why's that?" Pearl inquired, placing a hand on her hip. She was surprised that the same woman who had the confidence to yell at Pearl in front of her office just a few moments before was acting so shy and self-doubting.

Peridot looked up to meet eyes with Pearl, green emeralds glistening with disdain, "Because, she's dating sergeant Jasper."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you screaming? I'm screaming! AH! idk why im so excited about this like i'm not the one who literally wrote this out and posted it lol. Additionally, as previously mentioned, i know i'm taking it slow but get ready ya'll! Next chapter is going to pick up fast


	4. Trial and Error

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the trial is already here. Pearl is determined to rake in a win, despite the costs to do so. Can she convince the jury that Hank is guilty? Can she convince herself?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty emotional one. If you're sensitive, just beware. I almost cried writing it.

It was day one of the Hank trial, and opening statements went by fast.  Instead of listening to that obnoxious defense attorney drawl on about how mental illness is still being persecuted unfairly (and that he would prove diminished capacity is the reason his client should be proven not guilty), Pearl was distracted. Her conversation with Peridot yesterday was still swimming around in her head. After dropping the bomb of Jasper and Lapis being in a relationship, Peridot went on to explain some more. Apparently, Jasper and Lapis had only been acquaintances on the force as beat cops a few years ago. Once Jasper made detective, and subsequently sergeant, she put in for Lapis to transfer to her department.

" _Lapis used to be a lot different," Peridot explained, "I mean, I didn't know her that well at first, but she definitely wasn't as depressed as she is now. It's like she hates everything. Before…it was like she just didn't care."_  

The words echoed around in Pearls head. She felt as if there was a discrepancy, although she couldn't put her finger on what it was just yet. She remembered what Peridot said about how Jasper purposefully puts Lapis on cases so that they work together, and always assigns her to desk duty when Jasper has to mill around the office. When they first started dating, Peridot told Pearl that they were happy. Lapis' usually apathetic demeanor actually brightened, but lately she just appeared exhausted all the time. 

" _I don't know what kind of cases Jasper has her solving…" Peridot relented, "But they must be pretty difficult - and dangerous. She's always dead tired and always ends up getting injured somehow. One time, she came in limping! I don't like it…Jasper just uses her to do all her dirty work! She doesn't even care about what happens to Lapis. Not like I do…"_

Pearl pursed her lips. She knew she shouldn't make assumptions about a relationship she only just found out about. Still, she felt as if Peridot would probably care more for Lapis than Jasper does, just off of what she's seen so far. Who would put their girlfriend in harms way like that? What does she even have Lapis do? It seemed manipulative, at the very least. The defense attorney finally finished his statement and returned to his seat, and Pearl stood up, focusing on the task at hand. She held up an evidence bag and presented it in front of the jury. Inside was the blood - stained shirt that Hank had been found wearing when the detectives apprehended him. This was her exhibit A of the evidence she was prepared to present. Exhibit B consisted of an array of crime scene photos, and exhibit C were graphic pictures of the victims body. By the time she got to her exhibit D, the confession written by Hank, and read it out loud, the jury was seething with disgust. Pearl walked back to her table, placing the evidence down and making sure to consciously avoid looking over at Hank. Waves of guilt crashed against the inside of her stomach, despite her attempts to force them away. She didn’t want to paint Hank as a monster. She firmly believed that this was a man who needed to be treated by advanced medication and psychiatry professionals. She hated this case, and mentally cursed D.A. Martinez for forcing her to villainize this poor, ill man. Both the jury and the judge were looking particularly pale from being assaulted with graphic details and gore-y images. The judge, an old man who looked as if he was swallowing down the urge to puke, called for a 15 minute recess. Pearl took a couple minutes to re-organize her desk and then slipped out of the courtroom for some air.

She leaned against the wall outside the women's bathroom and exhaled slowly. This trial was far from over, and Pearl wasn’t clear on how she was going to make it through the rest of it. The door to the restroom opened, and a familiar face stepped out. Dark sunglasses faced Pearl as Garnet made her way to stand next to her. Pearl's shoulders tightened and she became suddenly interested in a spot on the floor. 

"What are you charging him with?" Garnet asked, her low voice made the hairs on the back of Pearl's neck stand up. 

Pearl looked up at Garnet with hooded lids. She wasn't particularly interested in conversing with the detective. She didn't need the woman's rude remarks or coarse attitude throwing her off her game right now. "Murder two." She answered curtly and turned her eyes back out to the wall opposite of them.

Garnet took a moment before speaking again, "That's it? I thought you would've overcharged him."

 "I tried for aggravated assault as well, but the grand jury wouldn’t indict," Pearl tugged on the hem of her skirt. She wore grey today, with a high collared blouse underneath. "And vagrancy is just a misdemeanor so it wasn't worth it."

 Garnet hummed in agreement. They hadn't spoken since a few days ago. In fact, Pearl hadn't even seen Garnet in that time either. She was planning on calling Garnet as a witness, but let her paralegal's handle prepping the detective beforehand. To Pearl's surprise, Garnet placed a reassuring hand on Pearl's skinny shoulder. When Pearl's gaze shot up, she was met with a small smile on Garnet's puffy lips.

 "You'll do fine." Was all she said, and Pearls icy blue eyes widened as she watched Garnet walk off.

 As everyone was settling back into the courtroom, Pearl was chewing on her nails. That may have been the only nice thing Garnet had said to her. She couldn't remember that well, her head felt all jumbled up and her body felt twitchy. It was as if she was on a high from the reassuring touch of Garnets hand - although its not as if Pearl knew what getting high was like anyways. She did her best to stop Garnets voice from echoing in the back of her head as she called her first witness to the stand; Bismuth. After Bismuth was sworn in, Pearl began to pepper her with pointed questions about Hank's past. Pearl could tell that the detective was uncomfortable - she kept shifting in her seat and looking away from the jury as she answered. She didn't want to be doing this either. Explaining to the jury how Hank is unstable, violent, and has killed before. She had to talk about the interrogation, the wild eyes of a man who had the characteristics of a rabid dog caught in a trap before crumpling defeated on the floor in disarray. She relented on about the confession in the jailhouse infirmary; Hank's ashen face and stone-like demeanor as he prattled on about his sins as if he was talking to a priest in a confessional instead of law enforcement.

 Bismuth looked a little worn by the end of Pearl's questions. Her black eyes kept flickering toward the door, as if she wanted nothing more than to run out if it. "Nothing further," Pearl released the reins to the defense attorney. He was looking particularly cunning, with a devilish smile ghosting across his thin lips.

 "Detective Bismuth," He began, putting a sneer of emphasis on the word 'detective'. "Surely you don't want to punish this poor man, do you?"

 Bismuth mouth formed a tight grimace, "He broke the law. He took the life of another-"

 "Please," The attorney held up a dry hand, "It’s a yes or no question."

 "…No." Bismuth concluded quietly.

 "You were the detective who handled his first case, right?"

 "Yes," Bismuth replied, failing to hide the suspicion in her voice. It was already established that she had a history of helping Hank.

 "And you formed a connection with my client?"

 "Yes. He would only talk to me. I calmed him down."

 "Couldn’t it be probable then, that you used your relationship to coerce a confession out of my client?"

 Bismuth didn't answer at first. Her eyes widened at the allegation and her jawline went white as she clenched her teeth. "No," She snapped.

 "Even though he would only respond to you not once, but both times you interrogated him?"

 "No," She began firmly but he cut her off,

 "Even though when he went to Mercy mental asylum, he continued to contact you by writing letters to you about how remorseful he was for killing his first victim?"

 "No, I -"

"And how you went to visit him one fateful day last summer while he was staying at Mercy?"

Bismuth turned white as a sheet. Her eyes were panicked saucers and sweat beaded on her forehead. She didn't even try to answer his questions anymore. He pressed on and on, his questions growing even more aggressive and intrusive.

 "Couldn't it be probable, detective, that you have a secret relationship with my client, based on your secret letters and rendezvous visits?" He was directly in front of her now, his hands gripping the edge of the podium that separated him from Bismuth. He leaned even closer in, "And that this relationship led Hank to confess and plead guilty to a crime he didn't commit - just to please you?"

Pearl had had enough. She shot up from her chair, slamming the palms of her hands against her table and raising her voice in contest, "Objection, your honor! Badgering the witness! Are these realistic questions, or just delusions that my opponent made up to mask over the fact that he has no case?!" 

The judge looked over at her from his half-moon glasses, "Easy, counselor - I will have no shouting in my courtroom - but I'll allow it." He turned then to face the defense attorney, "You… watch yourself. The jury will disregard the last few statements made by Mr. Roes defense attorney."

Pearl sat down, seething through her teeth. She had only known Bismuth for a short time, but couldn't stand to watch her get ripped apart by the devil in an ill-fitted suit.  With no further questions - or accusations - from Hank's counsel, Bismuth was allowed to step down. She glared at the floor as she made a bee line for the door of the courtroom and disappeared into the hallway. Pearl called her next witness to the stand, Garnet. She asked her similar questions that she asked Bismuth, and was done in a short time. The defense attorney cross-examined Garnet as well, but decided not to try any funny business with her. Something about her chilly demeanor made him believe that she wouldn't have put up with it anyways. 

The case went on, until finally it was time for the defense to call their witnesses. A psychiatrist was called to the stand, serving the purpose of explaining to the jury that Hank couldn't have been liable for his actions based on his mental state. However, when Pearl took to questioning her, she buckled under weight of Pearls prowess. Pearl had her talked in circles until the psychiatrist relented that if Hank had been stable and made the cognitive decision to stop taking his meds, he should be held accountable for everything he did thereafter. After the psychiatrist left the stand, shooting an apologetic look at Hank and his lawyer, it was time for Hank himself to take the stand.

The defense lawyer spent his time asking Hank questions to which he would provide answers that tugged on the heartstrings of the jury. Remorse, sorrow, and pain were all conveyed through the words and looks that Hank conveyed. The worst part was that the jury was soaking it all up. They believed him, as did Pearl and the detectives in the audience behind her. Everyone felt how truly sorry Hank was for what had happened. It hurt her case, but Pearl knew that it hurt Hank more. By the time it was Pearl's turn to question Hank, some of the jury members were misty eyed and utterly convinced that Hank was a fallen angel.

Pearl cleared her throat and tried her best to keep her voice level as she asked Hank why he went off of his meds.

 He looked at her funny, "I didn't particularly like the way they made me feel…" He replied.

 "But you knew what would happen if you stopped. The doctors told you never to stop, right?"

 "Yes…"

"But you stopped anyways? Against doctors orders?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Roe," Pearl steeled herself as she stared deep into his eyes, "Did you know that you would kill again when you went off of your medication?"

Hank's pupils contracted in fear, "No! I didn't know!"

"But you were aware that your illness is what caused you to kill in the first place? Did you know then that stopping for medication would make you dangerous?"

He didn't respond, and wouldn't look at Pearl. "Answer the question, Mr. Roe," The judge commanded.

"Yes." He whispered in defeat. 

"Mr. Roe…" Pearl turned to face the jury, glancing over every one of their bewildered faces as she asked her last two questions, "Do you feel guilty for what you've done?"

 She was still looking at the jury, but could hear Hank's voice cracking beside her, "Yes."

 "Isn't it realistic then, to say you are guilty for what you've done?"

 "….Yes."

 She turned away from the jury and walked back to her table, not bothering to face Hank again. Partially for dramatic effect for the jury, but also because she couldn’t bear to face the man she had just beat down lower than he already was. She knew then that regardless of the verdict, this man would pay for what he had done for the rest of his life.

"No further questions, your honor."

\----

The jury took a few hours in deliberation. Long, painstaking hours that seemed to feel like days. Pearl chewed her fingernails and bit at her cuticles until the side of her index finger began to bleed. By the time everyone had filed back into the courtroom for the last time, the skin around her nail swelled up and was throbbing in pain. She clenched it into a fist as she stood nervously at her table. She tapped the heel of her shoe against the side of her opposite leg, and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. This case had too much riding on it; Hank's mental health, his future, Pearl's reputation as the "rookie" A.D.A. that she loathed so much, and even the job itself was at stake. She couldn't fathom moving back to South Carolina in failure after losing her first case. She was told by many that she shouldn’t go in the first place; that she wasn't cut out for big city crime. She wanted to - no - she _needed_ to prove them wrong. Everything was riding on this verdict…Everything. The judge was addressing the jury as to whether or not they had reached their verdict. One of them stood up with a paper in hand and affirmed the question. Pearls whole body began to tremble, her heart was pounding out of her chest. The judge asked what the verdict was, and the blood pounded in Pearls ears. Her whole body grew hot, as if she would soon burst into flames from the anticipation. She watched the juror's mouth move, but the noise was blocked out by her own heartbeat. She didn't hear what the juror said. What did they say? She had no idea - she missed the verdict.

  _Fuck._ She looked around wildly, at the other jurors, and then to the audience. None of their faces seemed to give away the correct answer. There were some that looked shocked, and others that didn’t look surprised at all. It wasn't until she whirled around to face Hank and his attorney that she knew exactly how they found him.

 Guilty. Hank had broken apart the moment the word left the jurors lips. He fell over his seat, crippling with sobs for the loss of his freedom. His attorney frantically whispered into his ear, most likely to reassure him that everything would be okay - although they both knew as well as Pearl that that was a lie. His life would be horrible; forced to suffer the confines of a prison with little to no treatment for his illness. He would suffer even more than he already had. The judge thanked the jury and set the courtroom free. Pearl's hands shook as she gathered up her things, trying not to focus on the desperate cries of Hank as the bailiffs took him away.

 She didn't quite remember how, but she found herself suddenly outside of the courtroom, standing in the middle of the hallway while faceless bodies passed around her. She felt a mixture of emotions, but couldn't pick out the right one to focus on. She felt bewildered by the verdict that the jury had decided on. She felt guilt and real sorrow for the man she just put behind bars. She also, although this made her feel the worst of all, was happy. She was ecstatic that she just won her first big case of her career, and of her brand new job. It wasn't easy, and she felt accomplished having a fresh win under her belt. Her shoulders sank into a slouch and her mouth curved down into a frown, a wave of guilt crashing over her. Her bag slipped off her shoulder, but it never hit the ground.

Garnet, Bismuth, Jasper, Lapis, and even Peridot stood behind her. They smiled ruefully at her. She tried to force a smile back, but couldn't. Jasper was the one who broke the heavy silence.

"That’s good work there, Rookie" She praised, although Pearl wasn't certain that she truly meant it. "Martinez will be pleased." 

Pearl could have gagged. The last thing she wanted to think about was making her boss happy. It was his fault she was so torn up about this in the first place. He should have left well alone. Her colleagues seemed to take notice to Pearls change in demeanor after the mention of Martinez, because both Peridot and Lapis stepped forward and put a hand on each shoulder for comfort. 

"It's only five o' clock," Garnet mentioned, "and tomorrow is the weekend, so you all have off. Me and Bis' work the night shift, so let's head over to Ezzy's tonight. "

Pearl had half a mind to ask Garnet what exactly Ezzy's was, but Garnet responded before she could, "It’s the local cop bar. You look like you could use a drink." she looked over Pearl and then put her arm around Bismuth's neck, "We all do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for getting this out a day late. I'm also sorry that it's not as long as i wanted it to be, and that i'm not as happy with it as i wanted to be. College got in my way this weekend (two papers and an exciting chapter proved to be too much of a challenge for me). I'm planning on uploading the next chapter early this upcoming week to make up for it though. Thanks


	5. Risky Behavior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl's first outing with her co-workers is nothing like she is expecting it to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you don't like Pearlnet, this is NOT the fanfic for you my friend

Pearl agreed to accompany everyone to the bar, against her better judgement. Sure, they had bars in South Carolina, but Pearl rarely ever frequented them. She had felt gross after the trial so instead of going out to eat beforehand with the others, she headed home for a quick shower.

She sat at the bottom of the tub, feeling the hot water trickle over her lithe body. Her insides were growing numb as she played the scenes from today's trial over in her head. She wasn't aware of how long she had spent thinking about it until the water began to grow cold, even when she turned the knob up higher for heat. Once she was unable to stand the biting chill of cold water, she got out of the tub and reached for a towel.

Upon drying off, she paced the inside of her closet, inspecting her clothes thoroughly. She wasn't really sure what to wear to a D.C. bar. A cocktail dress? Too fancy. Yoga pants and a three quarter zip? Too casual. She opted for a pair of light washed jeans and a wine colored sweater over a black tank top. Looking nice wasn't her top priority, she just wanted to feel warm and comfortable. She fixed her hair and even put on a little mascara, just to make up for her plain clothes. She stared at her reflection in the mirror for a long while afterward. She looked tired - exhausted even - with dark circles around her eyes. Her forehead was scrunched up as her brow furrowed into a frown. She forced herself to relax her face into a softer expression. Her usually meticulous schedule had been thrown into disarray as soon as she started this new job. She worked long nights and early mornings every day for  the past week. Her back ached from stressed muscles and she wasn't eating regularly due to a loss of appetite. She decided not to worry too much about it though, since she chocked it all up to the adjustment period of moving to a completely new environment. She'd never been away from South Carolina before, expect for one vacation in her childhood when her parents took her down to Disney World.

Pearl traveled out of her bedroom and into the kitchen. It was in her best interest to eat before consuming alcohol, even though she wasn’t feeling particularly hungry in the first place. She chose to munch on some fruit, just to appease the nagging voice inside her head. She checked the clock - 7:45pm. She gulped down the last of her apple by 8:00 and then wandered back into her room. She had too much time to kill before they were all supposed to meet at Ezzy's at 9:00. The detectives and Peridot had only gone out to eat, how were they going to kill 4 hours themselves? Pearl looked around her room before focusing in on her bed. Soft, warm, and inviting. Her body pulled her toward it, crying out to lie down and get some much needed rest. She gave in to temptation, convincing herself that a thirty minute nap could do no harm. Pearl flopped on top of her comforter and was out in less than a minute, not even bothering to set an alarm.

*bzz bzz* *bzz bzz* Pearl felt something vibrating against her arm. Her phone had somehow come out of her sweater pocket and found its way up near her shoulder. She opened her eyes groggily, looking around in confusion. She had fallen into a deeper sleep than expected, and was feeling disoriented. *bzz bzz* *bzz bzz* the vibrating came again. Pearl forced her herself up onto her elbows and lifted her phone to her heavy lidded eyes. She yawned some of her sleepiness away and checked her messages,

[9:17pm 240-XXX-XXXX] "You coming? We're all here. - Garnet"

[9:19pm 240-XXX-XXXX] "Pearl? You okay? - Garnet"

Pearl shot out of bed immediately, shocked at how she had stayed asleep for over an hour. As she ran her hands through her slight bed-head, she grabbed up her keys and made her way out of her apartment, shutting the door hard behind her. She ran down the hallway and out into the street, cursing herself as she headed toward the address for the bar. Halfway there, she remembered that she should probably respond to Garnet's texts, just so everyone wouldn't worry more.

[9:25pm 803-XXX-XXXX] "Yea. - Pearl"

 ----

 Pearl stood in the parking lot in front of the bar. The detectives called it Ezzy's, but a sign with the name _Esmeralda's_ was hanging over the doorway, lit up in green and yellow neon. She could hear the bass thumping inside from where she was standing, and saw bright colored lights flickering through the glass paned windows. Pearl felt a small tug of excitement in her stomach as she slowly pushed in one of the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside.

 Her senses were immediately assaulted. Her ears struggled to adjust to the sudden loud volume of Spanish music that thumped through her whole body. Her eyes attempted to cope with the vibrant streaks of neon lights that speared through the building, coming from a central point on the ceiling. Her nose crinkled at the thick smell of cigarettes and alcohol. There was a plethora of high-top tables and bar stools littering the premises, taken up by men and women alike. They chatted, laughed, argued, and clinked their glasses of alcohol together in camaraderie. Some were in club clothes, and some were still in uniform. Pearl even spotted an individual with their piece still strapped against their hip. It made her a little wary, the thought of an inebriated guy with a gun on his person, but no one else seemed to pay any concern to it. A DJ was set up in between massive speakers in the back of the bar, and in front of his stand was a small dance floor. She was surprised to see a lot of people dancing, although she could tell that none of them were cops. Young men and women alike, all moving their bodies to the rhythm of the music. The men wore jeans and barely buttoned shirts, with styled hair and mischievous grins on their handsome faces. The women showed off their curvy figures in short, tight, stylish dresses. The majority of them had thick hair that bounced around while they grinded up against the men and each other. Their waists swirling around methodically, their hips rolling into one other provocatively.

 Someone came up behind Pearl, whispering into her ear, "You're staring, you know." It teased.

 Pearl could've jumped out her skin right then, but instead turned her head to look into royal blue eyes.

 Lapis was smirking widely and snickered at Pearl. Her usually pale cheeks were colored pink, and her usually sunken eyes seemed a little brighter. Her bruise was healing nicely, just barely a yellow hue under her makeup. Pearl swallowed hard as she looked over what Lapis was wearing. Her shirt was a tight, navy blue halter top that tied together in a ribbon around the back of her neck. The collar of the shirt (or lack thereof) was a low v-neckline that dipped in between her chest. She work dark blue high-waisted skinny jeans that accentuated her full hips and toned thighs. _Holy hell…_ Pearl thought, this girl was fit.

 Lapis had moved closer to Pearl by then, and draped an arm over her shoulders. Pearl stiffened at the unexpected gesture, and noticed the glass of rum and coke in Lapis' other hand.

  _She's tipsy,_ Pearl affirmed in her head that it was the only reason Lapis would act so friendly to her.

 "You took forever to get here!" Lapis complained as she led Pearl through a crowd and toward one of the tables closer to the dance floor. "We thought you weren't coming. Garnet was about to go looking for you…"

  _Me? Why would Garnet care to come looking for me?_ Pearl decided not to voice her question.

 "And girl…" Lapis continued, peaking Pearls interest with the inflection of her voice, "What are you wearing? You look like you're about to go grocery shopping."

 Pearl's ears grew hot, and she picked at the sleeve of her sweater. Next to someone as pretty as lapis, she felt underdressed and out of place. "I-I didn't know what to wear," she admitted. "I don't have that many cute clothes anyways."

 Lapis pursed her lips but didn't bother responding. They had already reached the table where her colleagues were sitting. Pearl noticed first how Bismuth was looking better now. The color was back in her face, and she was smiling again, with a large beer mug in hand. Her dreads were pulled back and she wore a red shirt and black slacks. She beamed at Pearl from the farthest end of the table, and waved. Pearl waved back, and then turned her attention to the others. Peridot looked like like a toddler sitting in between Jasper and Bismuth. She looked very bored except for when her eyes darted over to watch Lapis. She sucked on her straw, nursing only a glass of water and not bothering to say hello to Pearl. As Pearl would find out in a later conversation, Peridot didn't want to drink around Lapis and risk making a fool of herself. Jasper was downing the last of her whiskey, and set her glass down next to at least five other empty ones. Once Lapis drew close to her, Jasper grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in. Peridot turned a suspicious shade of green and grumbled into her non-alcoholic beverage. Jasper's hair was loose now, long locks tumbling over her shoulders and back. She wore jeans and a sleeveless blouse that displayed her rippling arm muscles and smattering of vitiligo.

 "What'll it be, rookie? My treat tonight!" Jasper's voice boomed even louder than the music.

 Pearl took the empty seat between Lapis and Garnet, but kept her focus on Jasper. "Um…maybe just a glass of wine…" she trailed off. She didn't think it was a good idea to get too inebriated and lose her wits in a city she barely knows, with people she barely knows.

 "Right then!" Jasper turned and caught a waitress who was walking by, "A round of Tequila for everyone!" When Jasper noticed Pearls eyes widen in disbelief she added, "And a Long Island iced tea for this one, she looks like she's gonna need a chaser."

 The group of detectives laughed as the waitress hurried off to fulfill the order, and Pearl just sat there dumbfounded. Chasing alcohol…with more alcohol? Were they trying to get her drunk?

 "We didn't think you were going to come," Garnet spoke up to the back of Pearl's head.

 Pearl looked over and finally acknowledged the woman. It's not as if she was purposefully ignoring Garnet, she just wanted to look at everyone else before her. Garnet looked like a dream in a black halter top - similar to Lapis' but not nearly as sexy - and black jeans. Her exaggerated hourglass frame caught Pearl's eye as she glanced over Garnets wide hips and full chest. Pearl let her eyes wander over the detectives smooth shoulders and prominent collar bones before traveling up to meet her face. She was wearing those same sunglasses, even though it must have been impossible to see anything  with the lighting inside the bar. Her lips were stained with a mauve colored lipstick and were pulled into a gentle smile. Pearl shifted in her seat.

 "Oh. Yea..lost track of time" She managed to mumble in reply. "How did you even get my number anyways?"

 Peridot piped up from across the table, "I gave it to her. All the A.D.A's numbers are posted in the office break room, remember?"

 Pearl nodded in affirmation, and turned back to Garnet, "I wanted to make sure you weren't lost." The tall woman explained.

 Before the conversation could continue, the waitress was back with a platter full of shot classes. She set them out in front of everyone, although Peridot pushed hers over to Bismuth, who happily accepted the offer. An additional skinny glass with a straw hanging out was placed in front of Pearl.

 "Thanks," Pearl muttered to the waitress as she stared at the iced tea. The waitress cracked a sympathetic smile.

 "Doll, before you go,"  Jasper directed toward the waitress, "let's get a couple fish bowls too, eh?" 

The waitress nodded and left once again, just as Peridot made a strangled noise. Jasper turned to regard her with a lofty look. 

"Got a problem, Short Stack?" She smirked when she saw Peridots face twist at the nickname.

"Fish bowls are gross," Peridot shot out, "You all are just drinking each other's backwash, you know that right?"

Lapis leaned over and rested her elbows on the table, causing her shirt to be tugged down even further. "What's the matter, Peridot? You don't wanna swap spit with with me?" She played.

Peridot's face was on fire, reddening with the innuendo that Lapis was only jokingly implying. The table laughed it off, and each woman took ahold of their tequila shot. As they raised it in the air, Bismuth made the toast.

"To the newbie," she announced, "We really didn't think that you were gonna make it past your first trial, but you killed it, girly. You're gonna give us all a run for our money."

Everyone nodded in agreement and Pearl blushed slightly. She began to wonder if they were finally beginning to accept her as more than just a joke. She smiled appreciatively and moved her shot glass to the middle, clinking it against the others before they synonymously placed them back down on the table and then lifted them up to their mouths. Pearl's throat burned as the liquid made its way down her esophagus. She instantly felt the heat crawling through her stomach and grimaced at the painfully bitter aftertaste. She bit down on the lime that she had removed from the side of the glass beforehand, but felt little relief from the sour slice. She spit it out into her hand and set it on the table, breathing in and out rapidly through her mouth the try and get rid of the aftertaste. She looked around at the other woman. Jasper seemed unfazed, and Lapis looked as if she actually enjoyed it. Bismuth coughed a little into the side of her elbow, and Garnets mouth was pressed into a tight line. Shots aren't supposed to feel good, they're supposed to get you drunk quick.

Pearl decided to try her iced tea as a chaser, and found it to work surprisingly well. It was sweet enough to where Pearl didn't really notice the bitter alcohol mixed in. By the time she finished a gulp, she was already feeing warm and tingly. She suddenly wished she had eaten a little bit more than fruit before she left her house.

The fishbowls came around shortly after, and the colleagues giggled like schoolgirls as they took turns sharing sips through different straws at the same time. Even Peridot joined in, although she would only drink when Lapis was on the other end, and was blushing furiously the entire time. At one point, Pearl and Garnet were sharing the enormous bowl of what was essentially fancy party juice, and Pearl thought back to what Lapis said about swapping spit. Pearl's face flushed a little at the childish thought that she was sharing an indirect kiss with Garnet. She mentally kicked away the notion and took a deeper swig from the bowl. After a little while, Pearl's lips and fingers began to tingle with the familiar numbness of being tipsy. Her cheeks were a rosy pink, and she began to sweat a little under her sweater.

Jasper slammed her hands on the table in exasperation, "Hell! This is like the 20th Spanish song they've played in a row! What gives?" She shouted.

Garnet grinned, "Amethyst must be working tonight." She mused, "You know she loves to get everyone dancing."

"Yea," an unfamiliar voice rang out from behind Jasper's large frame, "Got a problem with that, Jas?"

When Jasper turned, Pearl got a glimpse of who had spoken. A short, young adult was walking up to the side of the table. She had the same lightly tanned skin as Jasper, but without the vitiligo. Her hair was familiar too; long luscious tufts that billowed  around her frame and hung over one of her eyes, obscuring it from view. The eye that was uncovered was shaped similarly to Jasper's, although it was such an intense grey that it almost looked purple under the lighting. She had full lips and an even fuller figure, as she stood in cut up jeans and a cut off t-shirt.

Jasper glared down at the girl, "Shut up, Ame. Who let you run the music tonight?"

Amethyst shrugged and placed her beer atop the table, "I convinced daddy to let me make tonight an impromptu Latin par-tayyy." She said, giving a little shimmy. "Don't be such a kill joy. Get into your roots, _mija_." She let out a hard laugh and Jasper pushed her.

"I am _much_ older than you," Jasper growled, "Show some respect to your elders."

Pearl looked between the two and finally put it together, "You're sisters." She said in surprise. Both of them turned to look at her.

"Who is this gringa?" Amethyst stared Pearl down, taking in her appearance.

Jasper rubbed her temple, "The new lawyer we got, Amethyst. I told you this."

"Oh yea! Damn sis, you didn't tell me she was a looker," Amethyst waggled her eyebrows and Pearl frowned. "Damn girl, aren't you hot in that thing? Take it off, you're making me uncomfortable!" She was referring to Pearls sweater.

Pearl almost wanted to retort back about how Amethyst was making _her_ uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she decided to pull the sweater over her head and placed it gingerly over the back of her stool. She felt immediate relief from the stuffy confines of the material. She was glad she wore a tank top underneath, but still felt a little exposed. She could feel Amethysts eyes wandering over her bare skin.

Jasper smacked the back of Amethysts head, "Hands off." She commanded, "Don't fuck around with my work, you hear?"

Amethyst rubbed the back of her head and laughed, "Don’t worry, I've got work to do anyways. Don’t let me catch you out on the dance floor though, girl." She said to Pearl before winking, grabbing her beer, and disappearing into the crowd.

Jasper sighed in exasperation as Lapis absentmindedly rubbed her large arm for comfort. Pearl looked around the bar one more time and asked Jasper, "Your family owns this bar?"

"Yea," Jasper confirmed, trailing her hand up and down Lapis' practically bare back.

"That's why whenever we come here, it's Jasper's treat." Garnet joked, and everyone laughed. Everyone except for Peridot, who turned away from the couples affectionate touches and bit her lip.

\----

After a few more drinks and some lively conversation, Pearl was beginning enjoy hanging out with her colleagues. Even Garnet, who she had previously wanted nothing to do with, was warming up to her. Pearl had fought the need to pee for a strenuous amount of time, and finally gave in for fear of not being able to hold it much longer. She hopped off her stool and swayed under the full effects of the alcohol coursing through her bloodstream.  She was pretty drunk as she made her way to the women's bathroom near the back of the bar. Bismuth and Garnet offered to go with her, but she waved them off dismissively. She was an adult, she didn't need an escort to pee. She was mildly amused by the fact that there was no line to use the restroom, and strode in happily to find that no one else was inside as well. She locked the door to a stall and fumbled around with her jeans. After finishing up, she washed her hands in the sink and checked her phone. 10:45pm. Geez. She thought it was way later than that. She didn't know what time the others were planning to go home, maybe she should ask. She looked over at the hand dryer, feeling too lazy to use it, and subsequently wiped her wet hands on her jeans. The door opened behind her, and Pearl watched Amethyst stride in. She was short, almost as short as Peridot, and was grinning mischievously at Pearl.

Pearl regarded her with disinterest, "I was surprised to find out you and Jasper were sisters." She stated, just to make a conversation.

"I have a lot of sisters." Amethyst shrugged, "Too many sisters. They're all as wild as me." She put a suggestive emphasis on that last part.

Pearl rolled her eyes and went for the door. Amethyst stuck her arm out to block her and stepped closer to Pearl. "How old are you?" She inquired.

 Pearl was caught off guard by the seemingly random question."28, and too old for you. You don't look a day over 21."

 Pearl stepped back, followed by another advance from the short woman. The dance continued until Pearl was up against the sink, gripping the sides for support. Amethyst was dangerously close now, weaseling herself in between Pearl's legs, the smell of her skin mixed with beer filling Pearl's nose. She looked up at her with seductive eyes, and Pearl's spine tingled.

Amethyst moved in for what Pearl suspected was a kiss, and Pearl flinched in response. The shorter woman pressed up against Pearl, her warm skin heating the front of Pearl's tank top. She moved to the side of Pearl's face, however, and whispered in her ear, "I'm old enough. Come on, let's have fun." She put her hand on Pearl's hip and kissed her ear.

Pearl gasped out, and put her hand on Amethysts shoulder in an attempt to push her back, "I don't w-w-" she choked out.

Amethyst finished her sentence, "Want to? Why not? I swear, I turn 22 next month, and I can lock the door so we won't be disturbed."

_No!_ Pearl yelled in her head, _That's not it!_ "I-I cant! I've n-" she began, but clamped her mouth shut hard in spite of herself. She ended up accidentally biting her tongue, and winced as hot blood trickled into her mouth.

Amethysts eyes widened, and despite Pearl's attempt to conceal what she was going to say, Amethyst caught on, "Never? You've never…Holy smokes, you're a thirty year old _virgin?!"_

Pearl hated the way Amethyst said virgin. As if it was a dirty word, something to be ashamed of. She also didn't appreciate being called thirty. She took the advantage of the young girls surprise to maneuver her way out from under her. Pearl took one last look at Amethysts shocked face before turned and running out the door. She sprinted past the dance floor and tables, and thrust open to doors to the bar. For a second, she thought she heard someone call her name behind her, but didn't bother looking back to see who it was.

\----

The gang began to wonder what was taking Pearl so long in the bathroom. Just as Jasper lit up a cigarette, and was making a remark about how she probably fell in, they saw her running their way. She darted past them, and made her way to the doors of the bar. Bismuth called out her name to try and catch her attention, but she didn't turn around. They watched in bewilderment as she disappeared outside.

Before anyone could raise the question of "What the heck just happened?"  They turned and saw Amethyst exiting the bathroom. She walked up to them slowly, an apologetic look etched across her face. Jasper clenched her teeth and balled her fists.

"Dammit, Amethyst!" She snarled as her younger sister drew near, "What did I tell you? What the hell did you do!"

Amethyst dug her toe into the wooden floor and avoided Jasper's heated gaze, "I was just messing around, dude. She freaked out. Man…I never would've guessed that-"

"That what?" Jasper snapped, "Someone actually might not want to get with your sleazy ass?"

Amethyst shook her head and looked around the table, "I never would've guessed that that girl's a virgin."

The table fell silent. Even Jasper's angered look was replaced with raised eyebrows as the cigarette fell out of her mouth. For a moment, no one said anything.

Garnet stood up and cleared her throat, "That's none of our business. And it wasn't your place to share it with the people she works with." She reprimanded Amethyst coldly. "Leave her alone from now on. Got it? I'll go get her."

With that, she grabbed up Pearl's sweater and headed for the door; the rest of her friends watching her as she left.

\----

Pearl only got around one corner before she began to shiver. It was much colder out in the open than in that crowded bar. She cursed herself for not grabbing her sweater before she left, and for taking it off in the first place. She kicked a rock and swore under her breath before leaning against the nearest wall. She pressed the swollen part of her bitten tongue against the inside of her teeth and exhaled slowly. She didn't doubt that right about now, Amethyst was probably telling the others about what transpired in the bathroom. She was embarrassed, and angry. It wasn't her fault that she had never been intimate before, and that she felt conflicting feelings about it. She let her head fall back against the bricks and closed her eyes. She tried to focus on the hot anger bubbling inside of her, and not the chilling cold surrounding her.

She heard someone approaching from around the corner, their footsteps crunching on the asphalt. She opened an eye in their direction and saw Garnet walking towards her, with her maroon sweater in hand. Wordlessly, Garnet held out the garment to Pearl, who gratefully took it and pulled it on over prickled skin.

"Thanks," she grumbled, avoiding Garnets sunglasses. She knew that Garnet knew about her virginity, just by the way her aura had changed. It was like Garnet was looking down on her, both literally and figuratively.

"Let me walk you home," was all the detective said. They started off down the street, away from the bar and into the night. 

They traveled back to Pearl's apartment in silence. The walk was shorter than usual, because Pearl had to walk briskly to keep up with Garnet's long strides. Pearl was still a little buzzed when they reached the front of her building, but the cold night had sobered her up significantly. Before Pearl could reach the door handle and say goodnight, Garnet spoke up.

"You shouldn't be here."

Pearl looked confused, "What? You were the one who offered to walk me home-"

"That's not what I meant. You shouldn't be in this city. You aren't cut out for this job." Garnet's words cut like ice through Pearl's heart.

Pearl's eyes grew round as she stared up at an apathetic face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Excuse me?" She sputtered out.

"I saw the way you struggled with Hank's case. You were about to fall apart. Everything about you is too soft." The way Garnet said the last part made Pearl think this had something to do with the information that Pearl let slip to Amethyst in the bathroom.

Pearl's ears began to burn and her hands curled into fists, "Soft?" Her voice began to rise, "What do you know about me? You have no idea what I'm like!"

"This job will be too hard for you." Garnet crossed her arms.

"Too hard?!" Pearl was shouting now, "Try being gay and growing up in the South _! That's_ hard! Being the only gay girl in your town, at least the only one that isn't in denial anyways!"

Garnet didn't say anything, so Pearl kept going.

"While everyone was off getting dates and exploring their sexuality, I had to get my first kiss from my best friend out of pity, and then watch her run off and get married to an absolute scrub of a guy!"

Tears welled up in Pearl's wild blue eyes, and she stomped her foot like a child throwing a tantrum, "Try being in the closet for 28 years of your life! Only _finally_ admitting out loud who you were to a shitty cop with a superiority complex, who doesn't even think your cut out for your job!"

Garnet stepped up quickly to Pearl, and grabbed her by the arm. She pulled her up to the tips of her toes, and Pearl feared for a moment that Garnet was going to hit her. Pearl began to protest, but Garnet leaned over, muffling her outcry by pressing their lips together.

Pearl's eyes were like saucers as she stared into reflective lenses. Her mouth tingled as she kissed back against plush, warm lips, and stars sprung into her field of view.

They lingered there for a moment before pulling apart. As Garnet placed her back on the ground, Pearl pressed her fingers to her lips, smearing some of Garnet's dark lipstick that transferred onto her skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was so fun to write. im drunk. i wish i was kissing on garnet wtf. tell me what you think below. also, for those of you who leave comments on my shit, i love you. srsly im too shy to reply most of the time but i rlly appreciate it you guyz r the reason i keep going with this fiasco.


	6. Diamond in the Rough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl wants answers, yet finds herself with more and more questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Thanks for the patience, hope you enjoy. special thanks to my friend Piper for motivating me to finish this chapter quicker than anticipated!

A week had gone by since the Hank case. Pearl sat at her desk, tapping her pen against the wood rhythmically.  She had a few cases in the past week; a mugging with a gun and a domestic violence case. Both were pretty cut and dry, and each ended with a plea deal.

 Without thinking, Pearl began to touch her lips. Her mind flashed back to that night, when Garnet kissed her unexpectedly. She remembered the heat rising inside her body and the taste of the detectives lips mixed with alcohol. Then she remembered Garnet walking away, leaving her breathless and dumbfounded in front of her apartment. Pearl recalled how Garnet refused to acknowledge her existence this past week, even using Bismuth to relay messages when she needed to. Pearl felt a stone growing heavy in her chest, thinking about how she was still without an explanation for the occurrence of that sudden kiss. She found herself aggravated by the fact that Garnet didn't even bother to  acknowledge Pearl. She didn't particularly care for being made like she didn't exist.

_Is this how it works in the adult world?_ Pearl rubbed her temple and sighed in exasperation, _Just kiss me and leave me hanging?_

Before she could fester in her annoyance for the billionth time that week, the phone rang. She glared at it for a moment, letting its sharp trill ring out into her previously quiet office before snatching it up and pressing it to her ear.

_"_ Yes?" She hissed. It was Lapis on the other line. Pearl took a deep breath and tried to calm her voice, "What's up Lapis?"

_"_ We've got something. It's right across the street so just meet us over there." Lapis' expressionless voice directed and then hung up without any hesitation.

Pearl chewed on the inside of her cheek as she set the phone back on the receiver. It was almost the weekend, and Pearl didn't feel like dealing with another case right now. She wanted to be in her bed, out of her heels and coping with some ice cream. She stood and donned her knee length beige jacket. The weather had begun to grow cold as the seasons started to change. Gathering up her bag, she made her way out of her office and through the building, heading across the street to meet the detectives.

As Pearl approached the scene, hands shoved deep into her coat pockets, she noticed something different. The forensic analysts and CSU weren't going about their business with their usual chipper. Their faces were ashen and their mouths grim. They hurried along the outskirts of the caution tape and whispered frantically to one another. Pearl's confident strides began to slow down; the clicking of her heels on the pavement echoing as she entered the ominously quiet alleyway.

It wasn't a body that made Pearl's eyes round in horror. It was _bodies_. Four broken, lifeless heaps lay cold and barren on the ground. Sheets were pulled over them by the CSU team, but Pearl could tell from their exposed limbs that they were naked. Her heart began to race as she edged closer and closer to where the detectives were huddled in a circle.

Bismuth was the first to look up and acknowledge  Pearl as she shook her head. The others threw glances Pearl and then turned back to each other, muttering hurriedly amongst themselves.

"What happened?" Pearl's voice was a barely audible whisper.

"The Diamonds." Bismuth spat out.

"The Diamonds?" Pearl began to touch her bottom lip subconsciously.

"They run a human trafficking ring out of D.C." Bismuth's face contorted in disgust, "Mostly selling girls into sex slavery."

Jasper lit up a cigarette and took a long drag, "They're ruthless killers." She added between puffs, "They kill anyone who stands in their way, as well as any victims who aren't up to par anymore. They're narcissists. They want perfection and power."

Jasper was working over that cigarette like her life depended on it. By the last sentence, she finished her last bit; flicking it on the ground and crushing it beneath the toe of her boot. She growled through the smoke that she was exhaling out of her mouth, "And they're getting confident.  They actually had the balls to dump the bodies right under our noses this time. Fuckers."

Pearl was sure Jasper would like the be stomping out the Diamonds instead of the cigarette bud, but something was bothering her, "Wait. How do you know for sure that it's them?"

Lapis bent down next to one of the bodies. Pearl cleared her throat and ignored Jasper's staring at her ass in amusement. Lapis picked up a small, shiny jewel and held it up for Pearl to see. A clean cut, decent sized diamond was glistening prominently between the pads of Lapis' index finger and thumb.

"They always leave diamonds behind." Bismuth leaned in for a closer look, admiring the clarity. "Their way of showing off how affluent they are I suppose. It's a total waste. We can't even sell them, they just sit in evidence." She shrugged and sighed ruefully.

The gang was quiet for a moment. Just long enough to hear something coming from beneath one of the coverings of the bodies around them. All at once, five heads snapped around to see a mass shifting underneath the furthest sheet. Garnet was on top of it in lightening fast time, ripping it away to reveal what was underneath.

It was clear why the medical examiner believed the girl to be dead. Her face was beaten black and blue, and her limbs were bent in awkward positions. She had lay unresponsive for the majority of the time that CSU processed the scene. Her light brown hair was short and curled around her face and neck, obscuring her eyes from view. Her skin was pale and had a grey-ish hue, and she was so skinny she was almost skeletal. She began to stir again, softly groaning out in pain.

"Holy fuck, we have a survivor," Jasper exclaimed, snatching Lapis' radio from off her shoulder with such a force that it knocked her unsteady. "Call a _fucking_ bus!"

Within minutes a team of first responders were leaping out of an ambulance and swarming the victim. That lifted her gingerly onto a stretcher and pushed her into the back of the medical van, Garnet hopping in behind them.

"I'll ride along, meet me at the hospital!" She called as the paramedics slammed the doors closed and sped off into the distance.

Pearl cursed those sunglasses she wore, because it made it almost impossible to tell who she was talking to.  It wasn’t until Lapis made her way towards a police car and turned to ask Pearl whether or not she was coming, that Pearl herself knew that she had to go. 

*** 

The hospital was a total zoo. A bus crash on a nearby intersection had left a dozen individuals injured and in need of immediate medical attention from the hospital staff. It took a significant amount of time wrangling rushing nurses and forcing them to return to the front desk in order to finally locate the girl from the crime scene. Given her poor yet stable state, she had been posted up in a private room on the second floor. Irritated from having been snapped at by busy nurses, Pearl practically threw the door open and stomped inside. Garnet was standing at the foot of the hospital bed, watching the victim with her arms crossed over her chest. She turned her head only for a moment to regard Pearl and Lapis, and then turned her stoic, unreadable expression back to the girl in the bed. She had already been cleaned and patched up in the time it took for Pearl to arrive; an IV stuck in her arm, bandages littering her face and neck. Pearl couldn’t see the rest of the girls injuries because she was clothed in a hospital gown, and the covers of the bed were pulled up to her chest. Her thick hair laid messily over her eyes. Pearl had expected them to be closed, but upon closer inspection she was surprised to find them open. Blue eyes stared Garnet down, cold and unwavering. 

“She passed out in the back of the ambulance, but ever since she woke up she’s just been staring,” Garnet’s voice cut through the tense quiet in the room. “Hasn’t said a word though. Don’t even know her name.”

Pearl walked up alongside the bed, making sure to stay an adequate distance away from Garnet. Maybe a softer, gentler presence would help the girl feel more comfortable. Garnet could be a massive, intimidating figure. Not to mention aggravating… reticent…

Pearl spoke warmly to the girl. "Can you tell us your name?"

The girl didn't say anything for awhile. She kept her eyes locked on Garnet. If Pearl had thought that Lapis Lazuli looked like a dead girl walking, it was nothing compared to the state this victim was in. Her cheeks and eyes were sunken in, giving off a frail appearance that exaggerated her sharp nose.

"Bleu." The word was almost inaudible.

 Pearl frowned. "Blue? Like the color?"

"It's French," Lapis informed from her position at the door. "B-l-e-u."

Bleu nodded, a muscle in her jaw tightening under a dark purple bruise.

"Okay." Pearl knelt down beside the bed and placed her hand closer to the victim's, but didn't let them touch. "Can you tell me how old you are, Bleu?"

Pearl could practically see the wheels turning in the girl's head. She was working over something in her mind before she answered.

"24..?" The way Bleu answered sounded more like a question itself. However, Pearl could believe it. As small and fragile as Bleu was, she was still matured.

"Okay, okay, good. Thank you Bleu." Pearl leaned closer, finally forcing the victim to turn her head and face Pearl. Pearl stared deep into her eyes and could feel sadness sloughing off of them. She took Bleu's hand into her own; gently resting the girl's cold, nimble fingers on her own.

"Bleu…" she began in a sweet voice, "can you tell me who did this to you?"

When the victim didn't respond right away, Pearl asked the more pressing question, "Was it the Diamonds?"

Almost immediately, the sadness in Bleu's eyes was replaced. At first, Pearl saw a striking fear - and then what Pearl could only make out as anger. She jerked her hand out of Pearl's and turned her head away. Pearl had a hundred more questions to ask Bleu, but she knew that the victim was done answering anyone for now. A nurse came in and shooed Pearl and the detectives out, lecturing them to leave her patient alone so Bleu could recover. Pearl straightened up and left her bedside, throwing a triumphant look at Garnet as she made her way toward the door. By then, a uniformed officer was stationed outside the room. Garnet and Lapis followed out, and Garnet directed the anonymous officer to never leave the victim unsupervised.

"Not under any circumstances," She practically snarled at the pale faced officer, pressing her index finger into his chest, "Or I'll be personally paying a visit to your captain. And if she says anything else, you call me right away. Got it?"

Pearl watched from a few feet away. She felt herself growing smug; firstly because she managed to get though to Bleu before Garnet, but mostly because she knew that Garnet was bothered by that. Pearl felt as if she had won some unspoken battle between the two. As if she now had the upper hand. Pearl practically skipped alongside Lapis and the sour detective as they exited the hospital and traveled back to their workplace in a police SUV. The majority of the ride was silent. Garnet stared out the passenger side window, while Lapis and Pearl sat in the back on their phones. Pearl took this opportunity to catch up on some emails. She glanced over at Lapis' phone at one point to find her immersed in her text messages. Once Pearl saw that it was Jasper whom Lapis was texting, she knew better than to try and read the messages. She didn't really want to know what they were messaging about. The officer who was driving them could feel the tension, and when his efforts to formulate a conversation were met with disinterested grunts from the girls, he kept the awkward silence. They were closer to their destination when Pearl decided that she was feeling confident enough to bask in her perceived win some more.

She turned to her uniformed friend, "Hey Lapis, what do you think of Bleu's reaction when I asked her about the Diamonds?"

Lapis shrugged, "I dunno man, something was bothering her. I thought it was already obvious that they were the perpetrators."

"Yea, but like, wasn't it great how I got that useful information out of her? Not like it was hard, though" Pearl smirked when she saw Garnet's shoulders tighten, "I don't understand why 'no one' was able to get it out of her before. Maybe I should interview the victim's more often-"

By then, the SUV had pulled up to the curb outside of their building. Garnet tossed off her seatbelt and threw the door open. She got out and turned to close the door; facing Pearl with her upper lip curling at the side in anger.

"Or maybe you should stick to your own job. Seeing as you didn't bother to heed my advice from the other night anyways." Garnet slammed the door and stormed off.  

This peaked Lapis' interest. She finally looked up from her phone and at a floored Pearl. "What advice? What other night?"

A pinch of heat began to grow in Pearl's chest. It spread like wildfire underneath her skin. Her cheeks and ears grew hot, her hands began to tremble as she balled them into fists. How dare Garnet. She finally acknowledged Pearl and all she had to say about the events of that night was the ill-mannered advice she gave. Not the events that came afterward, which Pearl considered to be way more important. That was the last straw for Pearl. She wasn't going to let this detective pick and choose what she wanted to use against Pearl. She ignored Lapis' probing questions, leaving the officer behind as she jumped out of the car in pursuit of Garnet.

***

" _Hey!_ " Pearl hollered as she rapidly approached the detective from behind. Pearl's beige coat billowed behind her and her black heels echoed loudly in the seemingly empty hallway.

Garnet had stopped, but didn't turn around, so Pearl continued, "What is your _problem?_ " She cried out, standing in a wide stance a few feet away from the woman.

The detective turned to regard the lawyer, her hands clenched by her sides, "What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about? How about you ignoring me for the last week?" Pearl scoffed. "Are we not going to talk about what happened?"

Garnet gritted her teeth, "Nothing happened."

Pearl's mouth gaped open and her face turned a particular shade of scarlet. "N-nothing happened? _You_ kissed _me_ , Garnet!"

The detective drew closer to Pearl, shushing her with a hiss, "Will you keep your voice down?" She growled in a low voice, "You wanna talk about it? Fine. It was a mistake. A drunken lapse in judgement. A tactic to shut you up that you misconstrued into something meaningful. It didn't mean anything."

The feeble woman stared up at Garnet, unable to say a word in response. Behind her reflective glasses, Garnet could see the anger in the lawyer's cold blue eyes breaking under the weight of her words.  Garnet bit back the rest of the thoughts in her mind. She knew she was being harsh, even untruthful.

"And it will never happen again." The detective finalized. She squared her posture, ready for Pearl's retort.

Pearl just stood there, however. Her anger had dissipated, and a tightness began to ensnare her chest. Her mouth was twisted up, unable to form a good enough response for the woman in front of her. Garnet turned abruptly and started down the hallway. It wasn't until she turned the corner that Pearl allowed her shoulders to slouch; her bag slumping off and onto the floor. She back of her eyes began to sting as she stared at the space where Garnet had just been. She drew in a shaky breath, pulled her bag up and headed for the elevator to her office.

Around the corner, a certain brown haired officer kicked off the wall that she had been leaning on and eavesdropping from. Her suspicions - along with those of the colleagues - had been confirmed. She pulled out her phone and made her way back to the precinct, texting furiously all the way.

***

The end of Pearl's day came quickly. It was mostly a blur, through tearful eyes she could barely focus on her work. She was beginning to wonder if _she_ was the problem. The reason why she had never been able to get into a relationship before. The reason why there was so much discord with Garnet and the kiss. Maybe she _had_ misconstrued the meaning of the kiss. It's just that she'd never been kissed like that before. Pearl began to remember her first kiss with her best friend Rose. It was mutual, awkward, and quick. It was only meant to be an experience, just so Pearl wouldn't feel left out while all her other peers were making out behind the school or in their basements with significant others of the opposite sex. Pearl was definitely an adult, but had no idea how the adult world of attraction worked. Was she even attracted to Garnet or was she just using the detective as an outlet for her entire life's sexual and emotional frustrations?

Pearl hadn't realized that she was already out of the building and standing in the street, deep in thought. It wasn't until she felt something wet on the top of her head that she looked up. The clouds overhead were dark and menacing, and had already begun to release raindrops. They fell on and around Pearl, and she was suddenly wishing that she had brought an umbrella. The downpour was picking up fast, and Pearl knew that if she walked home she would be soaked by the time she reached the front door.

"You should catch a taxi," Bismuth chimed as she appeared beside Pearl. “Mind if I tag along? I didn’t bring an umbrella myself.”

Pearl wasn’t in the mood  to have company, but didn’t want to reject Bismuth. She was someone who had been so nice to Pearl throughout the entire short time that they had known each other. Pearl sighed and nodded. Bismuth chuckled and made to wave down a taxi cab.

Although Pearl had agreed to let Bismuth accompany her, she decided that she didn’t have to make an effort to strike up a conversation. Pearl stood, face forward, lost in her thoughts of Garnet and her own inner turmoils. When a cab pulled up to the curb, Bismuth held the door for Pearl to get inside. Pearl muttered her thanks and sat on the opposite side of the detective, facing out toward the window and remaining silent. 

Bismuth gave the directions. Pearl was mildly surprised to find out that the large woman lived relatively close to the lawyer herself. 

“What’s on your mind, Rookie?” Bismuth asked, smiling reassuringly at the nimble lady beside her. “You’ll feel better if you talk about it.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Pearl responded in a bitter tone, “I’m fine.”

Bismuth just chuckled again. Pearl was beginning to get the feeling that Bismuth was patronizing her. 

“Garnet’s a tough one,” Bismuth watched Pear’s icy eyes flicker at the mention of Garnet, “You don’t really understand how you feel about her, do you?”

Pearl could feel her ears growing slightly hot. She bit her lip, and the memory of the kiss swirled around in her mind as she shook her head. 

“Tell me about it, Pearl. I already know something happened when neither of you came back to the bar.

Pearl had half a mind to turn down Bismuth’s impromptu therapy offer, but when she opened her mouth, a waterfall of her thoughts and feelings began pouring out.

“I don’t understand how anything works here!” She started, the pace of her speech growing faster as she continued on, “I don’t understand, Bismuth, why did she kiss me? Why did she ignore me afterward? Why does she say it doesn’t mean anything? It certainly feels like it meant something, to me at least!” 

Bismuth grinned, “Kissed you? That’s all? Hell, I thought something more had happened.”

Pearl put her reddened face into her hands, “I get that it’s child’s play to everyone else, but it’s a big deal to me. Why is it such a big deal to me? Why can’t i stop thinking about her?” Pearl’s voice began to crack as tears stung the back of her eyes, “Why did it hurt so much when she told me it was a mistake?” 

Bismuth put her hand on Pearl’s shoulder. It would have been comical - the way its massive width covered the entirety of Pearl’s bony shoulder - if not for the gravity of the conversation. “You know the answer, Pearl. You’re a smart cookie. You’re just afraid to say it.”

Pearl’s lower lip began to tremble, and she bit back her tears as she drew a shaky breath, “I think I like her.”

Bismuth smiled and nodded, “And that’s a wonderful thing, Pearl. Garnet may be rough on the outside but she’s a great person.”

Pearl shrugged of Bismuth’s hand. The taxi was nearing her building, and she couldn’t wait to run into her apartment and hide away, “It doesn’t matter. She’s made it pretty clear that she wants nothing to do with me.”

“Pearl,” Bismuth chided, “you don’t strike me as the kind of person to give up so easily.”

Pearl didn’t respond, but paused with her hand on the door handle. The cab had stopped, but Pearl waited to hear Bismuth out.

“Reach out to her on a neutral level. Don’t try to one up her, like that stunt you pulled at the hospital today.” When Pearl turned to Bismuth in surprise, she continued, “Yes, I know about that. Anyways, take it easy. I get that you’ve never done this before, but she drops clues that she’s interested in you, as well. Heck, the kiss in and of itself is the biggest hint of all. She won’t say it outright. She doesn’t want to hurt you… she thinks you’re too green. She doesn’t want to her hurt herself either.”

The cab driver cleared his throat, tapping on his steering wheel impatiently. Pearl began to reach for her wallet, but Bismuth stopped her with a gentle hand. “I got it, Pearl, don’t even try to protest. Go on inside, and just take things slow with Garnet for awhile okay?”

Pearl rose from her seat in the cab, and turned fully to face Bismuth before she closed the door. The rain felt cool on her hot, embarrassed skin, “Thank you Bismuth…for everything.”

She shut the door and stood in place for a moment longer, watching the taxi drive off. Then she made her way into her building and up to her home. She was ready for a hot shower, some comfortable sweats, and a night of reflection over her situation with Garnet.

***

Jasper had called a meeting in the precinct early the next morning. Pearl was nervous about seeing Garnet again after yesterdays events, but felt a little bit better after remembering the advice that Bismuth had given her.

Bismuth smiled wide at Pearl when she saw her, admiring the lithe lawyers appearance. She wore the same beige coat as yesterday; draped over a light pink pantsuit. The suit fit snugly around her hips, and tapered in around the ankles, just above her stark white heels. Her signature pearl necklace hung delicately over a floral blouse that flounced around as she strutted into the precinct. 

Even Lapis found Pearl to be particularly captivating that morning; taking note of the blush that dusted over the smattering of freckles across her cheeks, and her long eyelashes that were darkened with mascara. Lapis and Bismuth exchanged knowing glances, and felt equal pride for their innocent colleague. Pearl had brought her A-game that morning, in order the catch Garnet's eyes.

Garnet was hunched over some paperwork, and didn't look up until Bismuth "accidentally" nudged the side of her chair. After Garnet threw her fellow detective an irritated scowl, she turned the face the rest of the room. She nodded a hello at Lapis, and when she turned to face Pearl, the detective sucked in her breath. She spent a moment staring at Pearl from behind the protective barrier of her sunglasses, all the while the grins on Lapis and Bismuth's faces growing wider. Pearl stared back, taking in the always impressive sight of Garnets enchanting physique.

Jasper came booming out of her office before either woman could say a word to each other. "Is everyone here?" She regarded each of her coworkers pointedly, pausing for a moment when she saw Pearl, and then shaking it off as she continued, "We need progress on this Diamond's case people! Give me what you got!"

The detectives took turns reading off the facts of the case; M.E. reports, forensic finding's, and the tracked patterns of the Diamond's previous victim dumping grounds. Garnet had stayed mostly quiet throughout this endeavor, the corners of her mouth turned down in a thoughtful frown. Jasper caught on to this, and raised an authoritative hand that made Lapis immediately stop reading from the report she held.

"Something bothering you?" Jasper questioned.

Garnet nodded, "That victim, Bleu. The Diamonds that never left anyone alive before. It just doesn't seem right. They're too calculated - too much of perfectionists - to make such an egregious error." She looked around the room, "I mean come on. A live victim who could connect the Diamond's to the other murders? That's too much risk."

Jasper tapped her chin, "Has anyone talked to this victim since Pearl did?"

Bismuth confirmed that she and Garnet had paid Bleu another visit later on that evening, and that no other information was gathered pertaining to the Diamonds. "She was asking more questions than we were, actually. She wanted to know where we were on the case, what we knew, stuff like that. We told her by the end that it would be hard to actually capture the offenders if she won't tell us anything about them. Then she just clammed up and waited for us to leave."

Pearl stared at Bismuth, her eyes widening, "Why would she do that… unless…" she trailed off, watching her colleagues come to the same horrifying realization.

It dawned on them all simultaneously. The Diamonds had sent in one of their own. They wanted her to gather information about the detectives and their investigation. All five women scrambled to gather their things and jolted out the door. Within moments they were bounding through the hospital; a wave of women crashing through the hallways and stairwells until they reached their destination.

Jasper grabbed the door handle, throwing it open with a bang. They stumbled inside the room, upon an empty hospital bed where their victim should have been lying. A stream of unmentionable curses flew from Jasper's lips as Bismuth grabbed the uniformed officer. His face paled in terror as she lifted him off the ground and shook him like a rag doll.

"Where is she? Where is she dammit!" Bismuth bellowed. Pearl worried for a second that the officer was going to pass out.

"She checked out a-an hour ago!" He cried, grappling for the policeman's hat on his head to keep it from falling. "I sent a page to the front desk for you guys! Her guardian came to discharge her!"

Without needing the order, Lapis shot off down the hallway toward the nurses station, in pursuit of the nurse who had the completed discharge forms. They would yield only fake information and dead ends, however, filled out by an agent of the Diamonds who kept their face obscured from the hospital camera views for the entirety of Bleu's collection. Pearl looked up at Garnet as they stood side by side in the empty patient room. The taller woman's breathing was inconsistent and shallow, her lips a tight line and shoulders hunched in anger.

"We just lost our best…and only…lead."

***

Everyone sat defeated in the squad room. Even Pearl had stayed because she didn't want to suffer the loss of their only chance at catching the Diamond's alone. Bismuth's usually cheerful demeanor was replaced with a seething anger and she grumbled curses under her breath and occasionally slammed her fist on her desk in frustration. Lapis seemed even more depressed than before, burying her head in her arms as she lay on a mound of paperwork atop her own desk. Garnet was quiet, as usual, filling out reports. It would seem as if she was perfectly fine, but the constant breaking of the pens that she was gripping a little too hard gave away just how upset she was. Jasper was in her office with the door closed. Through the cracks in the blinds over her window, Pearl could see her on the phone with her head in her hand, undoubtedly getting reemed out by her superiors for letting Bleu escape. It wasn't Jasper's fault, Pearl mused, no one could've foreseen this any faster than they did.

Pearl was the first to notice an old, poorly dressed man enter the precinct. He stumbled in looking dazed. Pearl stood and approached him as the others turned to watch.

"Can I help you?" She asked him. He looked Pearl over and scratched his white, unkempt beard.

"I did it." He stated in a matter-of-factly manner. The detectives had gathered behind Pearl now, looking just as bewildered as she did.

"Did what, sir?" Bismuth prodded.

"I killed them. I killed them all. Those people I left in the alleyway across from this place. I left them just for you." He grinned wildly.

At first, none of the women knew how to respond. "You." Garnet leveled, "You're the one who killed them?"

"Sure am. And I'm turning my self in," he held his hands out together, palms up, "Go on, arrest me. Take me away!"

The colleagues exchanged suspicious glances, but ultimately ended up leaded the man into an interrogation room. Bismuth and Garnet went at it together while Pearl, Lapis, and Jasper watched from the other side. They interrogated the man mercilessly for hours. They questioned him in circles to see if he would slip up his story. He remained consistent the entire time, and even brought up details that he would have no possible way of knowing unless he had actually committed the killings.

"Where did you get the diamonds from?" Bismuth challenged, taking note of the fact that this man's stature would have him unable to produce the means to purchase a vast amount of the expensive jewel.

"Lifted 'em from a pawn shop. 15th and Washington." He shrugged.

"We'll be checking into that," Garnet jotted down the address. "One last thing…"

She leaned in closer, her voice dropping into a menacing volume as her eyes bored into him from behind reflective lenses. "Why did you leave the girl alive?"

"Have you seen her?" The man grinned wildly again, showing off the yellowing around his teeth. "A girl like that, she's too pretty to kill. She could be very useful to someone someday." He cackled to himself, "Very useful indeed.."

The detectives left him in the room to rejoin the others outside. None of them believed that this man had committed those murders. He was most likely an agent of the Diamond's.

"If his story checks out," Jasper broke the silence as she looked over her subordinates and Pearl, "Book him."

"Jasper, he didn't do this-" Garnet began, but the sergeant cut her off.

"He answered every question, and then some. He knows all the gore-y, intimate details. He signed a confession. Maybe he did do it."

"The Diamond's must've told him what to say. They persuaded him to give himself up somehow, we all know it! Jas, I don't agree with this decision at all."

Jasper growled, her hazel eyes glowing in irritation, "Then it's a good thing I'm not asking, detective."

As she turned on her heel and left the room, Garnet sighed. Bismuth put her hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "She probably just wants to close this case because of the heat she got from the big bosses."

The women all turned to the man behind the two way mirror. They each wondered silently how the Diamond's could have persuaded this man to throw his entire life away for them. Pearl thought about how these Diamond's definitely held the power, and had definitely won this case.

***

When Bleu entered the room, she was met with the back of a large leather chair. Above it's brim, she would see the snowy white hair of the women she loved so much. The woman she had given her life to for longer than she could remember.

"My Diamond," she bowed at the waist as the chair spun around.

A large, curvaceous woman sat relaxed in the seat. She wore a floor length, cold-shoulder suede dress that was such a dark blue that it almost looked black. She smiled adoringly at Bleu, who noticed that the hood of her dress had been pulled down around her neck. Hanging off her chest was a large, draping necklace that showed off a polished, glistening blue diamond. Her skin was a pale porcelain, and her irises were like glaciers swimming in her eyes.

"My perfect little Bleu…" her soft toned voice cut through the quiet atmosphere. She reached out a regal hand and cupped the bruised side of the young woman's face. "I'm so sorry we had to do this to you…"

 "It's for the greater good," Bleu nuzzled her captors hand, "I'll do anything for you, my Diamond."

The Diamond raised a pointed eyebrow in mild amusement, "Then I take it you have gathered some useful information for me, my sweet?"

Bleu smiling up at the queenly woman, "Oh yes, my Diamond. I learned a lot."

"Good," Bleu's Diamond motioned for her beloved slave to sit upon her lap, "Let's start with that new A.D.A, Pearl…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> angst angst angst. Tell me what you thought of this chapter!


	7. A Trip to Remember Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl must travel away from D.C., and when an unexpected partner tags along, new experiences occur.
> 
> Theres some mature stuff at the end of this chapter! I've marked it with a // at the beginning and end. If you're a youngin, dont be reading this! I do not support the delinquency of minors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead! I am sorry that I abandoned this lol. But I'm back! I will also be uploading Part 2 of this soon. I'm only making it in parts because it is too long to fit into one chapter. Also sorry if its all over the place. I was working on this for like 3 months, haha. cries.

chapter 7 

Pearl looked up from her computer screen, blinking away the dryness in her eyes. As her vision began to clear, she realized that her boss's face was serious. Her hands, poised at the keyboard, fell onto the edge of the desk as she pushed off to turn and face Martinez in her chair.  
   
"A trip?" She inquired with curiosity lacing her voice. "What kind of trip?"  
   
"A business trip." Martinez answered with a straight expression, his hands resting in the pockets of his dark grey designer slacks, like always. His face was remarkably devoid of five o' clock shadow, and the grey strands that peppered his dark hair glistened from the copious amounts of gel that he used. Pearl thought in amusement about how this man probably single-handedly kept Crew in business. "I need you to consult on a case."  
   
“Where?" Pearl knew that she would be going somewhere unfamiliar - her lack of travel throughout her life had made that easy to deduce - and she began to feel uneasy.  
   
"Detroit." The matter-of-fact tone that the D.A used began to irritate his subordinate. "We'll fly you out and back, set you up in a hotel near the courthouse-"  
   
"Wait, fly?" Cold blue eyes began to round into saucers, "As in, on a plane?"  
   
The D.A.'s cool demeanor broke into surprise. He was partially taken aback by the prosecutor's having suddenly cut him off, but more so because she seemed unsettled by the prospect of getting on a plane. "Is that a problem?" He raised his eyebrows.  
   
Pearl bit the inside of her cheek, her ears growing hot. "I've never flown before. Why do they need me to consult?"  
   
"They just need someone to consult. I was the one who decided to send you out. You've been doing a good job lately, but you still seem pretty green. I figured that this would be a good experience for you." Martinez shrugged and then scratched his chin thoughtfully, "If you're really that uncomfortable with flying I suppose I could send Peridot with you…"  
   
"Oh, no you won’t," Came a shrill voice from behind him. Peridot stood in the doorway of Pearl's office, peering over her glasses at the two inside. She had been passing by, on the way to the file room, when the mention of her name drew her to investigate. "I hate flying. And I'm swamped with cases this week. Take a detective. Lord knows they aren't busy with anything right now." She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her small pointy nose, and readjusted the papers she was carrying. Then she continued down the hallway without waiting for a response.   
   
Martinez' eyes narrowed as he turned back to Pearl, "Hm. She's got a mouth, that one. I guess I could convince Jasper to give me one of her subordinates for the trip. It's only a couple of days, right? Any requests on who you want to bring?"  
   
Pearl felt her face flush. She tapped her fingers restlessly on her desk and cleared her throat. "Not really." She lied.  
   
***  
   
Peal felt her mouth fall open when she stepped out of the taxi in front of the airport in the early morning. The sun had only just begun to awaken in the East, but soon it would be glaringly brilliant overhead. It had only been a single day since her conversation with her boss about the trip. It was short notice, and the only other contact she had had with him was a brief email of her itinerary for the next two days. She hastily packed a hefty suitcase and printed out a plethora of papers with flight schedules and first timer travel pamphlets. Sweat trickled down her back as she nervously pulled her suitcase from the trunk of the cab and tipped the driver. Standing by the doorway was D.A. Martinez, immersed in texts on his smartphone. Beside him stood Garnet, clad in a tracksuit and sneakers. Her arms were crossed over her grey zip up hoodie and her matching sweatpants hugged her hips snugly. Her usual sunglasses hid most of the expression on her face, but Pearl could almost feel the glare radiating toward her as she approached the detective and prosecutor.  
   
"Hello Mr. Martinez," She pulled her suitcase up beside her and gave a curt nod to Garnet, "Detective."  
   
"A.D.A Pearl." Came Garnet's gruff response. Something told Pearl that her traveling partner wasn't too excited to be going on this trip. Not that Pearl was any more excited either. Pearl was trying to heed Bismuth's advice and take it slow. A business trip with Garnet in a completely different state wasn't exactly a keen way to give the detective her space.   
   
"Better hurry and check your bags," Martinez barely looked up from his phone, "Detective Garnet, you'll have to lead the way. Pearl has apparently never flown before, and I have meetings to get to."  
   
Garnet only nodded, while Pearl pulled her carry-on bag up higher on her shoulder and made little effort to hide the discontent in her voice, "Great, thanks."  
   
Martinez disappeared into the back of a black town car, and Pearl turned grimly back to Garnet. Before she could gather her thoughts together and find something to say to the other woman, Garnet was already making her way inside the airport. Pearl grabbed her bags and followed suit, cursing lowly under her breath about how she wouldn’t be surprised if Garnet ditched her before they even got past security. She caught up to the detective in line to check in; taking note of her single, large duffle bag hanging off her strong shoulder. 

"Are you not checking a bag?" Pearl huffed as she struggled to catch her breath after keeping up with Garnets long strides.    
For a long moment, Garnet said nothing. Pearl watched in anticipation as Garnet pursed her lips, formulating an answer in that keen mind of hers. She was trying to decide how to interact with the lithe lawyer after their past interactions - remain cold and unforthcoming, or lighten up with an air of comradery.  
“It’s only two nights.” She answered curtly, her low octave voice rumbling quietly so only Pearl could hear, “You’re going for work. I’m going to babysit.”  
The last part had slipped out accidentally. Garnet bit her lip and watched with baited breath as Pearl’s face turned an unnatural shade of scarlet. She could barely look into the lawyer’s usually cold blue eyes - now ablaze with the anger that Pearl was feeling. Pearl, however, gulped down her particularly vicious response, and turned stiffly away from the detective. She kept her eyes forward for the rest of their wait in the check in line, not daring to even breathe in the direction of Garnet. When they both approached the counter, a pleasant attendant in a sharp blue suit looked back and forth to each of them, feeling the tension sheathing off their bodies like the shedding skin of two very angry snakes.   
“C-Checking a bag today?” The attendant stammered out, as she quickly took Pearl’s large suitcase and handed the women their boarding passes. “Have a nice flight...” The attendant sighed in relief as she watched Garnet turn and stalk off toward the security gates, Pearl strutting quickly behind her.  
**  
The anger Pearl felt began to subside as she sat perched on the edge of one of the waiting seats by gate 15A for the boarding of her flight into Michigan. Now, a sickly nervous feeling was bubbling itself up in her stomach and catching itself in the back on her throat. Her skin began to prickle in fear and her palms became slick and clammy with sweat. She didn’t know why she was feeling afraid; yes, she had heard horror stories of seemingly normal flights go terribly wrong, but she also knew the strong statistics the supported the low probability of that happening. Another attendant’s voice spoke out through the intercom overhead, though this one was less pleasant than the one before. The warbled voice was almost incomprehensible, and Pearl struggled to understand what it was saying. She managed to decipher that the flight would be boarding now, with premier members up first and then separate numerical zones. Pearl looked down at the now crumpled boarding pass in her hand, and unclenched her fist from around it to see more clearly. She smoothed it in her lap and scanned the disarray of letters and numbers until her eyes rested on the “Zone 3” sitting in the upper right hand corner. Pearl glanced over at Garnet, to see if she too was checking her ticket, and found her sitting relaxed. Her shoulders were lax with her hands folded calmly in her lap, and her right was leg crossed loosely over her left. Pearl watched her chest rise and fall with even breaths. For a moment, with her eyes shielded behind those reflective sunglasses, Pearl considered the idea that she might be asleep. It wasn’t until Garnet's mouth formed a tight line, and her right leg shifted over until both of her feet were placed flat against the ugly blue carpeted floor, that Pearl realized the detective was very much awake and had probably only moved because Pearl had been staring at her.

 

By the time that the warbled voice announced something that only linguist analyst could describe as Zone 3, Pearl had made several failed attempts to dry her hands on the length of her pant bottoms and was now standing in the short line behind Garnet. As she approached the door, a smiling attendant reached out to scan her ticket. Pearl smiled ruefully back as she relinquished the paper, now tacky and misshapen from the sweat of her palm. When she got it back, she hurried down the corridor that connected the hull of the plane to the departure gate. A mechanical humming filled her ears as she drew close, and she almost didn’t hear when Garnet asked to compare their seating assignments. Luckily, they were sitting next to one another, and Garnet even went too far to gruffly offer her travel partner the window seat, although she declined respectfully.

 

Listening closely to Garnet’s low rumbling voice along with the equally as low roar of the airplane engine sent Pearl’s heart racing in her chest. She tried not to appear flustered as she passed stewardesses in the cockpit and eventually found her seat. The plane itself could be described as plain. Old, blue, fake leather seats all crammed together, two on each side, with off colored white cabins overhead. Pearl mumbled her thanks to Garnet as the taller woman secured her bag up top for her. Once sitting, Pearl realized just how close they would be for the 2-hour flight into Detroit. Although Pearl’s hips and thighs were slight, the impressive width of Garnet’s made it so their legs barely brushed one another through their clothes. Pearl's cheeks flushed as she attempted to shift her position and ignore the sparking heat that was radiating from the spot on her thigh. Garnet said nothing and did nothing, presumably unaware.   
Once everyone was seated, the couple of stewardesses aboard the flight asked for everyone's attention as they robotically went through the announcement of a safety speech in the aisles, complete with demonstrations. As Pearl was taking mental note of this information, she noticed that the rest of the passengers were seemingly disinterested; scrolling through their phones or talking amongst themselves. They had probably heard this speech dozens of times before. Pearl didn't think passenger safety was anything to take lightly, so she turned her attention back to the stewardesses and mentally filed away the safety information just in case.  
Finally, it was time to take off. Pearl, following instructions, leaned back into her seat and looked forward. She felt a building tension in her shoulders and a bubbling anticipation in her gut. She found herself gripping the arm rests beside her and squeezing her legs together. The sensation of being carted along the runway in such a monstrous vessel wasn't what took Pearl's breath away, however. It was when they picked up speed on the tarmac, barreling down the takeoff aisle at a pace not yet experienced by the little lawyer. She felt an invisible pressure press against every muscle in her body, forcing her harder into her seat cushions. Physics was making it clear that she should stay on the ground, but the aircraft was fighting to break through the gravitational pull to make it into the air. The pressure was building up so intensely, Pearl feared for a moment that they wouldn't be able to get off the ground. Suddenly, the sensation of being lifted off the asphalt made her skin prickle. Her mouth parted slightly in a gasp as she felt the sensation of the airplane taking off into the sky, growing stronger as it made its ascent into the clear blue atmosphere. After what seemed like hours, but was more like minutes, the plane plateaued and Pearl unstuck herself from the crevices of the seat. Her mouth was dry, and her throat was hoarse as she swallowed. Since the flight was short, the stewardesses hurried along with drink orders, and Pearl was enormously thankful to be handed a small plastic cup of water. She gingerly passed the cup of tomato juice that Garnet had ordered, and Pearl realized that her traveling partner had been silent the entire time.   
"Tomato juice?" Pearl spoke softly, and then repeated louder to be heard over the roar of the engine.  
"Only when I'm on planes. Got it from my mum." Garnet responded, absentmindedly fiddling with the brass ring on her finger. Pearl wanted to ask her where she got it, or about her mother, or about anything, but Garnet had already turned her attention back toward the window.   
Pearl hadn't felt tired, but the gentle motion of the plane mixed with the soft white noise roaring in the background led her to doze off unexpectedly. It wasn't long until a loud chiming rang through the speakers in the cabin, announcing to the passengers that the plane would begin its descent and be landing soon. The noise jerked Pearl suddenly awake, and she hastily wiped spit from the side of her mouth and prayed that Garnet hadn't noticed she was drooling. Landing was less nerve wrecking than taking off, but Pearl still squealed in surprised when the aircrafts tires bounced off the tarmac as it hit the ground. She peered past Garnet and out of the window to see an overcast sky. She suspected it would soon be raining. Pearl squinted, barely making out the city buildings in the distance. She estimated that the taxi cab would take about a half hour to reach the hotel that Martinez had set them up with. She sat back and threw her head against the headrest, blinking the sleepiness from her eyes and wondering what case she had ahead of her.  
**  
Pearl’s calculations were correct; the car ride was some long, uncomfortable thirty minutes next to a stoic Garnet. The only things that kept Pearl sane were the emails on her phone and the sudden pitter patter of rain as it began to thunderstorm overhead. By the time the cab pulled up to the curb, both passengers were eager to hop out and grab their bags. Pearl hastily tipped the driver before Garnet could pull out her wallet, much to her upset. The detective responded by taking the bags from Pearl’s hands and – ignoring the little lawyer’s protests – carried them into the hotel.  
The hotel itself was quite pleasant. It had a quaint feel to it, adorned with soft yellow lighting and plush, pinstriped upholstery. The bell boy eagerly took the bags from Garnet and whisked them away toward the elevator while the two women checked in at the front desk.  
“Okay... one room with two twin size beds, yes?” The desk attendant smiled brightly up at them.  
“Um, one room? Two twin… what?” Pearl repeated dumbly.  
“Figures,” Garnet spoke up, prompting Pearl’s head to swivel around and look at her, “This hotel is a little two nice for the D.A. to have been willing to set up for us. You didn’t think he was going to spend the money on two separate rooms, right?”  
When Pearl’s mouth gaped open slightly, but she failed to respond in a timely manner, Garnet grimaced and went on, “He’s too cheap for that, Pearl. We’ll just have to make due. It’s only for two nights.”  
With no choice left but to agree, Pearl dutifully picked up her key card and followed Garnet to the elevators. The detective pressed the button for the sixth floor a little too harshly, in Pearl’s opinion. She wondered if Garnet loathed the idea of being so close to Pearl for such an extended period of time. Two days. Pearl realized that Garnet had repeated it from before. What is that, her mantra? Pearl wondered. 

The room was small, and had a cool draft. Their bags were placed gingerly in the short hallway, and Pearl watched Garnet throw hers onto the bed closest to the window. The detective loomed over the pitiful twin sized bed before her, and crossed her arms over her chest. Pearl watched her out of the corner of her eye as she gingerly laid her suitcase beside her own bed. 

The noise that Garnet made startled Pearl at first. She realized quickly that it was a snort, and her head snapped up to see the detectives wide grin. Garnet’s shoulders shook with quiet laughter, “I haven’t had to sleep in a twin size since I was in the police academy!”

Pearl said nothing at first, content with watching the beautiful woman in front of her tremble with laughter. Pearl watched the creases in her face widen as her straight teeth flashed a bright white against her dark lips. It wasn’t until the detective quieted down that Pearl mused aloud, “I think college was the last time I slept in a twin bed. I don’t think I ever slept in one before then either…”

“Well, get settled in then, I guess.” Garnet responded, her laughter fading effortlessly into a sweet smile that gave Pearl the sudden urge to sigh heavily. “We still have a good few hours before we have to be at the precinct. I’m going for a run. Wanna join?”

“What? In this rain?” Pearl motioned to the window where a steady drizzle was falling from dark clouds overhead. “No way. Besides, I didn’t bring any running shoes.”

Garnet shrugged, “Suit yourself. I’ll be back in 45.” The detective grabbed her phone and headed for the door.

“Okay…” Pearl began, but before she could tell the other woman to be careful, Garnet had already disappeared into the hallway. 

For a moment, Pearl sat on the edge of her bed, watching the space where Garnet just was, as if she were going to reappear at any moment. Then, feeling the chill of the draft against the slightly dampened clothed that she was wearing, made the lawyer decide that a quick shower was the best option. With Garnet out, she would not have to worry about any uncomfortable interactions. She hastily seized her opportunity; slipping out of her heels and stripping off her travel clothes. It took her a moment to decipher the shower handles, but soon she was encompassed by hot water. She showered fast, brushed her hair, and pulled on a comfortable grey sweater with black pants. She settled onto her bed and decided to finally crack open the files that Martinez had given her before she left. She scanned the pages, absorbing the details of the case that she would be assisting a Detroit attorney with. 

***

Pearl and Garnet were dropped off in front of the precinct. A police cruiser had picked them both up from the hotel. It had since stopped raining, although the sky was still overcast. The duo made their way past the front desk and were introduced to several members of the Detroit police department, as well as a stout, nervous looking lawyer.

The new lawyer held out a sweaty hand and shook Pearl’s dainty digits hastily, “Thanks for coming up, A.D.A” She stuttered out shyly.

Pearl smiled warmly, and wiped her hand discreetly against the backside of her jacket, “Glad I could help…but with a rape case? Why do you need a consultation on this?” 

“It’s high profile,” One of the officers spoke up, “The guy who raped our vic’ has a pretty big standing in the community.”

“Who is he?” Garnet asked, accepting the file that another officer handed to her. She flipped through the pages and scanned the evidence documents as the first officer continued.

“Some white-collar CEO,” The officer shook his head, “The wife does a lot of charity work. You know, fundraiser dinners and shit. All for the tax write-off, if you ask me.”

“No one asked you,” Another officer snapped, “It’s the victim that makes this case so difficult. An immigrant, doesn’t speak much English. She was one of the cleaning staff in his building.”

Pearl tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Yea, her statement says they were both in the office late, and he caught her in the bathroom while she was cleaning, right?”

The second officer nodded, “Said he forced himself on her. No cameras in the bathrooms to catch the deed, you know, but there is video of her running down the hallway afterward.”

Pearl regarded the lawyer, who was watching the conversation go down as she bit her nails, “She’s calling rape, but I’m guessing he’s going to say it was consensual?

The lawyer scoffed, and began to tug on a loose strand of brown hair from her braid, “Yea. Bastard says she had been ogling him for a long while. Says the only crime he committed was cheating on his ‘poor wife’.” 

“Well,” Pearl said, clapping her hands together. She thought it wasn’t too loud, but somehow the concussive noise managed to make her fellow prosecutor jump, “We better get started. Arraignment is soon, right? I want to talk to our victim beforehand.”

***

Once inside the courthouse, the woman standing before Pearl looked shattered, to say the least. She very obviously used to be a beautiful, young, Hispanic woman. What Pearl assumed used to be thick, long, luxurious black curls were now greasy, stringy locks that hung from her sullen head. A bright, blushing face and large, doll-like brown eyes were now dull and sunken in, and her cheek bones created a hollow frame that made her look ghostly. She hunched over when she walked, as if the weight of her victimization had crushed her down and made her weary of the entire world. Her tan skin, however, still glistened with a gentle, golden glow. Pearl couldn’t work out why that was, until the woman drew closer. 

“Yesenia,” A thick Hispanic accent came softly from the woman’s throat as she introduced herself, “Vargas. I-I am…”

“Pregnant.” Pearl cut in, staring wondrously at the woman’s swollen, protruding belly. She wasn’t far along, based on the medium sized bump. Definitely in the second trimester. 

Yesenia bowed her head in shame and Pearl immediately caught herself, “Oh, no! No, I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s, his, isn’t it? The man who raped you?” Pearl immediately drew close to Yesenia and put her hands on the broken women’s shoulders. 

When the victim nodded and wiped tears from her eyes, Pearl shot a glaring look behind her at a sudden pale-faced looking fellow lawyer, “Would’ve been nice to know.” She grumbled low enough to where only her associate could hear.

“Please, Miss. Can you help me?” Yesenia grabbed onto Pearl’s arms and looked up at her with pleading eyes. A shiver went up Pearl’s spine, as she wondered for a moment if she would look as harrowed as this victim if she was ever forced upon by a man.

“Yes,” Pearl responded breathlessly, a sudden powerful urge for justice building in her chest, “We will try. Believe in me. We will get justice for you, Yesenia.”

Another Hispanic woman came up behind Yesenia and put a hand on the victim’s shoulder. She began to mumble something to her in Spanish, and then introduced herself to Pearl, “I’m Maria, her Victim’s Liaison. She has no family here…she emigrated by herself from Mexico. Now that this has happened, she has no one to take care of her. She lost her job because of the politics of it all. None of her coworkers will help her out because they’re afraid of getting fired too.”

Pearl didn’t notice the accent that Maria had until she said the word Mexico. The ‘x’ was comfortably replaced with a “ji” sound, leading Pearl to believe that she, too, was originally from a Spanish speaking country. Maria continued on and on about how much of an injustice this was for Yesenia, and how corporate fat cats shouldn’t be able to get away with things like this because of their wealth. Pearl was inclined to agree, but the nervous lawyer tugged on the back of her jacket. Pearl turned her head and saw that the doors to the courtroom were opening, signifying that it was time to proceed with the arraignment. 

Once inside the courtroom, Pearl took notice of the differences between the Detroit courtroom and the courtrooms she worked in back in D.C. For starters, instead of a marble-esque linoleum floor, there was short and ugly colored carpeting. The usual clicking of her heels was replaced with a soft shuffling. She noticed that the desks were worn as she pulled out her legal pad and case file. Next to her, the other prosecutor was rummaging through loose papers in her bag. Pearls nose crinkled, despite her better nature, as she could tell her associate was sweating profusely. The side door to the courtroom opened, and out stepped a clean cut looking man with an expensive suit and briefcase to match. Behind him, in an even more lavish looking suit was the defendant. Pearl could have easily mistaken him for another attorney, but the gleaming of metal handcuffs around his bound wrists gave him away. He looked confident and unbothered, as if this were another typical day at the office for him. Pearl’s insides began to twist; this smug bastard thinks he’s going to get off easy. She thought in distaste. 

The opposing duo had barely made it to their desks when the “All rise for the honorable Judge Simmons!” echoed through the courtroom. As an older, Caucasian man in dark robes took his seat on the bench, Pearl took notice of the defense attorney sizing her up. His blue eyes felt grazing to her skin as they traveled shamelessly up and down her form. He only peered at the other prosecutor for a moment, clearly disinterested in her ill-fitting slacks and messy hair as she stood next to Pearl’s pristine form. Pearl stared back, and when their eyes met she mentally shot daggers through her eyes before turning swiftly back toward the judge. 

Judge Simmons was mumbling to himself over the case before he glanced lazily over his rectangle frames. “Well, are you just going to stand there or are you all going to introduce yourselves?” He questioned pointedly. 

“Eric Hanson for the defense, your honor.” The defense attorney piped up before Pearl could open her mouth to speak.

A sound began to come out of her fellow prosecutor’s mouth, and Pearl quickly put a hand on her arm to stop her, “A.D.A Pearl and A.D.A Luther for the people.” Pearl announced quickly. 

“I’ll hear the people on bail.” Simmons directed.

Pearl paused. She hadn’t discussed the topic of bail with Luther. Looking at her partner, she figured it would be worth a quick discussion to make sure Luther was actually prepared. 

“Courts indulgence, please.” She requested, and then leaned over to whisper hastily in her partners ear. “What are you asking for?”

Luther whispered back, “Maybe 500,000? Maybe more…they are rich you know. Maybe…oh, I don’t know! What do you think we should do?”

Pearl resisted both the urge to roll her eyes and the impending doom feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach, “Just let me handle it.”

Pearl turned back to the judge, the gears in her head working overtime to come up with a legitimate request for bail. She quickly processed all of the details of the case that she had learned, including the wealth of the defendant and the means of which he has to his disposal. 

“We request remand, your honor.” Pearl declared. Behind her, she could almost hear Luther’s jaw drop open. 

“Your honor!” Hanson exclaimed, “My client is a respected businessman with strong ties to the community! His wife does charity for goodness sake!”

“Your client also has a large amount of funds and a passport that would allow him to easily escape the country, Mr. Hanson.” Pearl countered, “And although his wife does some charity work, he does not.”

Hanson’s face hinted a small amount of outrage as he leaned forward on his desk, “Your honor this A.D.A is supposed to be aiding her associate, not making grand stipulations with little to no basis!”

Judge Simmons’ face remained apathetic, although he raised an eyebrow, “Save the pissing match for the trial, kids. I’m inclined to agree with Mr. Hanson. Bail is set at $500,000.”

“The people request that the defendant surrender his passport and does not travel outside of the state within the time leading up to the trial.” Pearl raised.

A ghost of a smirk played across Judge Simmons lips, “That sounds reasonable, don’t you agree, Hanson?” Without waiting for a response, the judge banged his gavel, “Done. Next!”

***

Outside of the courtroom, A.D.A Luther flung her arms around Pearl.

“Wow! That was incredible!” She exclaimed, stars in her eyes as she looked up at the blushing lithe lawyer, “How did you know to do that?”

Pearl puffed her cheeks and removed herself from her partners grasp, “If we had gone straight with 500,000, the defense would’ve argued it down. It was common sense to get his passport. He might’ve been on his way to Sudan tonight otherwise.”

Luther tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Oh yea… I hadn’t thought of that.”

You haven’t thought of anything, clearly. Pearl thought to herself. “Hey, make sure that Yesenia has a patrol car out front of her motel room tonight, okay? We don’t want that asshole to send anyone over to threaten her.”

“Right!” Luther pulled out her phone and began punching in numbers. She looked up in surprise as Pearl began to walk away, “Wait, what are you going to do now?” 

Garnet appeared by Pearl’s side as the little lawyer looked back at her associate, “Well, to be frank, it’s late. I’m tired as hell, and we have the trial tomorrow. I’m going to go back to my hotel and go to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow morning to go over our attack plan, okay?”

Without waiting for the other prosecutor to agree, she turned and followed Garnet out of the courthouse, and into the back of a taxi as they made their way back to their room.

*** 

Pearl spit out the remnants of her toothpaste and stared at herself in the mirror. She was beginning to show dark circles under her eyes, and despite her nap on the plane earlier, she felt exhausted. Her pajamas were pink and a matching set of modal material that rested comfortably against her slim frame. Her pumpkin colored bangs were clipped back out of her face, which was stripped of the makeup she had worn that day. It was never much; just mascara to darken her wispy pale eyelashes, and a powder foundation to cover the freckles on her face. She stepped out of the bathroom and was about to turn off the light inside before she realized that the entire hotel room was dark. She left the bathroom light on in order to locate the hotel room light switch, which she flicked on swiftly. It wasn’t until Garnet cried out that Pearl even realized she was still in the room.

“Augh!” Garnet howled, and Pearl nearly jumped out of her skin, “Turn it off!”

“Garnet?!” Pearl swiveled to regard the detective, who was covering her eyes as she hunched over on her bed.

“Turn that damn light off!” Garnet yelled. Pearl quickly obliged and even turned the bathroom light off as well.

“What happened?” Pearl asked, her voice dripping with concern as she felt around aimlessly through the room.

“I took off my sunglasses.” Garnet responded, an air of relief flooding in as she removed her hands from her face. “I’ve got photophobia.”

“You’re scared of light?”

“I’m sensitive to light,” Garnet snapped. “Why do you think I wear those photochromatic lenses all the time?”

Pearl managed to find her way into her bad and crawled under the covers, “Gee, I didn’t really know what to think. I’m sorry, Garnet.”

For a moment, Garnet said nothing. The air hung tensely around the room until Pearl heard Garnet shift in her own bed, “It’s fine. You didn’t know. Now you do.”

Pearl rested her head down on a plethora of fluffy pillows and brought her knees up to her chest, “Goodnight, Garnet.” She whispered. Garnet made no response.

Pearl tried to sleep. She closed her eyes and counted down from 100. She shifted positions as quietly as she could. She went over all the boring, monotonous facts of the case to try to ease herself into sleep. She tried to force herself into unconsciousness for what seemed like hours, but she couldn’t. She felt restless. She stared up into the pitch-black darkness, presumably at the ceiling, and sighed heavily. There was something in the room that was keeping her awake. That something, was Garnet. Although Pearl could barely hear the soft breathing of the grand woman beside her, Pearl felt the energy. Like a wave of electricity that stung through her clothes and sizzled through her skin on the side that was closest to Garnet’s bed. Pearl felt twitchy, and bothered, as images of the detective flashed through her mind’s eye; Garnet’s lips, her hips, her strong arms, her full bust…

Pearl exhaled through her pressed mouth as she tried to blink the thoughts away rapidly. It was making her tingle throughout the core of her body. She wanted to – no – needed to get some sleep before the trial tomorrow. Pearl needed the restlessness to go away. She needed this inconvenient tingle to go away. She needed the need to go away. 

“Pearl.”

The lawyer jumped at the sound of the detective saying her name. A blush creeped up into her cheeks as she responded in a quivering voice, “Sorry, am I making too much noise? I can’t sleep.” 

There was that reoccurring silence again as Garnet put together her words, “…You feel it, right?”

Pearl found herself in a state of surprise, “Feel? Feel what?”

Garnet pursed her lips in the dark, but continued on, “This…thing. Between us.”

Pearl swallowed hard and the grip her had on her comforter tightened, “O-Oh. Yea, I do.”  
It was silent for a long while this time. Pearl stared into the darkness in the direction of Garnet, and wondered for a moment if the other woman had fallen asleep. 

At last, Garnet spoke again; her voice husky and low, “Want it to go away?”

Pearl sat up a little and propped herself on her elbows, intrigued, “How?”

Garnet’s voice changed again. This time, it was feminine and soft, and Pearl could almost hear a smile on her lips, “C’mere.”

At first, Pearl was frozen. Her body seemed to be rooted to the bed, and an unnerving wave of fear washed over her. Her head buzzed with the warning Bismuth gave about space, the fact that Pearl and Garnet were work colleagues, and the kiss they shared before. Did she want that again? Does Garnet? Does Garnet want more?

As these thoughts were swimming in her head, Pearl’s body began to move instinctively. Slowly, she pulled back her covers and let her feet find the floor. She reached out into the open, her hands yearning to find the stability of her colleague’s bed. Something warm intertwined themselves between Pearl’s fingers. Garnet’s hands had found their way to Pearl, and led her the rest of the way to the detective’s bed. // Pearl’s breath caught in her throat as Garnet let her hand go to travel curiously down the length of Pearl’s body. It found a comfortable spot on the small of her back, and with a swift tug, she pulled the lithe lawyer down. Pearl’s body fell gently onto Garnets. Heat rose to her ears, and her torso prickled with excitement as she pressed against the other woman’s curvaceous body. Both of her slender legs straddled over the sizable width of one side of Garnet’s hip, and Pearl became acutely aware of the fact that it was pressing against the junction of her thighs. Garnet seemed to take notice as well, because she raised her leg up as if to press deeper into the area. Garnet’s free hand grasped the nape of Pearls neck, tangling strong fingers into the back of her plush orange hair, and brought Pearl’s head up to level with Garnet’s. Their lips were parallel, and Garnet could feel as well as hear Pearl’s quickened, shallow breath. The slender woman was excited, and her skin prickled with anticipating as she rested against the other woman. The small space between their lips crackled with electricity. Up this close, Pearl could make out all of Garnet’s features, especially her big, round eyes. Even in the dark, Pearl could tell that Garnet’s irises were such a violent shade of brown they almost seemed to glow with a red tint. They stared Pearl straight into her own icy blue eyes, and sent a driving hot stake into her center. Pearl let her head fall into Garnet’s hand, and closed the space between them as she pressed her lips to the detectives. //

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh cliffhanger (?) ! Sorry but i had to. Its like my fav thing ever. Next Ch will literally begin with the continuation of this last scene so beware! Good news! I got an internship working alongside a prosecutor this summer! Its rad, i'm sitting in on so many trials and learning so much! Also, the steven bomb literally ruined me. I've watched "The Trial" like 50 billion times. I want to incorporate the Zircons, but i'm not sure how yet. AHH it was a dream come true. Literally amazing. Trial. Lawyers. SU. amazing.


	8. A Trip to Remember Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl and Garnet spend the night together at last! What will come of their budding relationship in this culmination of a particularly horrid court case? 
> 
> Anyone interested in the female janitorial rape crisis should watch the Frontline documentary Rape on the Night Shift. A hard watch but a good one. Very informative.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lengthy Author's Note, but WORTH THE READ: Hello, readers! I come with a new chapter, some changes, and an explanation. I clearly haven't touched this in an insane amount of time, but I promise I felt all the pangs of guilt when I got the staggered kudos or comment here and there. I am here to answer your prayers and continue the story, but not without some alterations. 
> 
> Firstly, I hope you guys will forgive any inconsistencies from this point on, as I can only remember broad story lines and not a whole lot of minute details within the chapters. 
> 
> Secondly, this story will be taking on a new direction. There are still some baseline arcs that I will develop because they're too good to abandon. However, I'm going to abandon the hedonistic elements of this story. Basically, there will be no more fan service. There will be some passionate scenes, but nothing so intimate that I need to put warnings before it. This is just a personal preference as I feel uncomfortable with the idea of these scenarios. Thanks for your understanding, and I'm sure it will be just as exciting regardless. 
> 
> As for an explanation.. I began this story at a really lonely time in my life. I was feeling a little lost and completely alone. School wasn't going well, work was even worse, and I turned to story-building on Ao3 in order to feel a sense of purpose and belonging that I was lacking in reality. I never expected an audience for my story to grow the way it has, and for that I am truly grateful for you all. When my real life began to change for the better, my need to escape into this story lessened, thus why I abandoned it. I'm not picking it up again because my life is going back downhill, in fact it's quite the opposite. I just feel a sense of obligation to you all to try and finish this story for what its worth, and I don't mean that in any negative way. I have since taken a fictional writing class and I know my craft is stronger than ever before, so I hope you enjoy the continuation of Law&Order SU :) Please Kudos and leave a comment below if you like this chapter.

Pearl awoke with a start. Her hand instinctively flew to the corner of her mouth to try and wipe off any drool. Her eyes fluttered open against the ambient sunlight that trickled through the sheer hotel curtains. She tossed her body over to the side and stretched out from underneath the cool covers. Her eyes traveled lazily across the room, settling on the figure of a tall beautiful woman smirking at her from across the room. Garnet was fully dressed, sunglasses poised perfectly atop her button nose, and was leaning against the frame of the bathroom. 

“Good morning,” Was all she said, but it was enough to make the moments from last night swarm back into Pearl’s memory. 

Pearl looked down and realized she was only wearing her bare skin and drew the sheets up hastily in an attempt to cover herself. Red pigment boiled across her face as all the places where Garnet had touched began to burn under her skin. 

She was practically speechless, but managed to release a dry, “What time is it?”

“6:30,” Garnet replied, her voice dripping with the same sweetness from the previous night, “I brought you coffee.”

Pearl sat up, still gripping the sheets in front of her with an iron fist. “Thank you. So… about last night…” She stared at the tufts of blue carpet on the floor, not daring to meet the detective’s eyes. 

“We don’t have to talk about it. I know it was your first time, and you did great.” She walked up to Pearl and brushed the unkempt hair out of her face, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.

All Pearl could do was nod, but a smile crept into the sides of her mouth. She didn’t know what to make of what happened, but she knew that being close like that was much better than giving Garnet space. 

“I need to get ready.” Pearl prompted.

“Yea?” Garnet smiled and stood back.

Pearl made no attempts to move. She stared into Garnet’s fluffy hair and cleared her throat, hoping the detective would get the idea. 

After a second, she did. “Oh! Oh, I mean... Okay. It’s not like I haven’t seen it already though.”

Pearl’s ears were growing hot, “Seriously?”

“Okay, okay. I’m only teasing.” Garnet stuck out her tongue playfully and turned toward the opposite wall.

Pearl quickly skirted out from under the sheets and threw on her outfit for the day. She hustled past Garnet into the bathroom and got the distinct feeling that her companion was trying not to laugh at her. Pearl looked at herself in the mirror and was shocked at what she saw. Her face looked much brighter, despite her lack of sleep. Her cheeks were flush from residual embarrassment, and she swept a hand across her hair in the same manner as Garnet. Her eyes traveled down her neck and shoulders, searching for any kiss marks. There was one, underneath her collar bone, but that could easily be covered with a shirt. Pearl ran her hands over her small hips and up her waist, remember more intimate touches from last night. She met her own eyes in the mirror and could barely contain the grin stretching out her cheeks. For the first time in her life, Pearl felt beautiful. Hell, she felt sexy even. She felt wanted in the best way. 

Pearl finished her morning routine swiftly and met Garnet by the door. With her briefcase slung around her shoulder, she gingerly took her coffee from the detective and followed her toward the courthouse with a confident stride. 

 

***  
Court was not going well. Pearl resisted the urge to slam her hands down on the desk, for fear that the old wood might crumble under the force of her anger.

“Objection!” She seethed and turned pleadingly toward Judge Simmons, “Please, Your Honor, the defense counsel cannot honestly be suggesting that this man is an expert?”

Hanson turned to face Pearl, not bothering to hide an ounce of glee in his expression, “My witness is a highly renowned specialist in the field of obstetrics and fertility, as we’ve already established.”

“Save it, counselor. You’ll have your chance at cross.” The judge declared, barely looking in Pearl’s direction. 

Hanson turned back to his witness; a heavyset white man in his late fifties. His greying hair was slicked back behind his ears and a shiny silver cross hung from his fat neck. “You were saying, Doctor?” Hanson prompted.

“Ah, yes. So, as I was saying, the female body has mechanisms that shut down their reproductive organs in cases of forcible rape. As a protective feature, you know?” The witness drawled on and on. 

“You’re saying that a woman who was raped cannot become pregnant?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“So, the supposed victim, who is clearly pregnant?”  
The doctor leaned forward and folded his hands together, “Conceived that child through consensual sex. She would not have been able to, otherwise.”

Hanson smiled, “Thank you, doctor. No further questions.”

***  
The trial was in recess, which have Pearl and Luther an opportunity to try and scramble together their arguments as they fell apart. The cross wasn’t effective enough to sway the jury, Pearl deduced. Even though she pointed out that this “doctor” had been paid to be present as the defense’s witness. Even though his theories on reproductive sex organ protection were publicized as extremely controversial, and in some cases, ill-conceived. 

“There just isn’t enough evidence.” Pearl gripped her hair in her fists and stared down at the open file before her. “Yesenia didn’t even leave the office after the incident.”

“She was afraid she would lose her job!” Maria, the advocate, challenged. She was allowed to be in the room, but Yesenia had to wait outside. “Do you know how strong of a woman it takes to get assaulted like that and go back to work? She’s an immigrant, she needs to money.”

“That’s what the jury thinks of her anyways…” Luther muttered, and when both of the other women turned their steely gazes against her, she began to stammer, “Y-You know! They think she’s after his money.”

“But that’s not true!” Maria cried.

“But that’s what the jury believes.” Pearl tapped her pen against the paper. “The in-vitro paternity test proves that the baby is his, but that doesn’t mean anything. She never went to the hospital, she washed her uniform afterward, there’s literally no trace evidence providing lacerations or bruising indicative of sexual assault.” Pearl began firing off obstacles in frustration, “She doesn’t even have an outcry witness.”

Maria glared at Pearl and her accent got a little stronger as she struggled to keep her emotions in check, “I’m her outcry witness.”

“Three months after the fact!” Pearl scoffed. “This case is completely built up on he said/she said… And guess who the jury is believing?”

Luther piped up again, “He?”

Pearl groaned and flipped her file shut. “I’ll do what I can in closing arguments. Yesenia put up a good fight in there, Maria. She held her own against that heinous defense counselor. That’s helpful in swaying the jury, but I’m going to be straight with you… these cases are incredibly hard to prosecute.” Pearl’s eyes pricked with sadness as she gazed over at the door where Yesenia was probably waiting by, “I don’t even know why the D.A. took it in the first place.”  
Maria stood up, shuddering in fury, “You said you would get justice for her!” 

“I said I would do everything I could to try, and I am.”

Maria didn’t stick around to hear the rest, she burst through the door and Pearl caught a small glimpse of her running to Yesenia’s side before it closed. 

***  
That night Pearl allowed herself to sleep in Garnet’s bed again. Garnet was more than happy to oblige, but it was still a little awkward having two grown women squeeze into a twin extra-long. There would be no antics for them that night, as Pearl was too distracted by her case. She talked over the details for hours, confessing how improbable it was that the jury would convict and how it was eating her alive. Garnet said little, but instead stroked her soft orange hair comfortingly. 

“Closing arguments weren’t any better. Luther has no idea how to persuade a jury.” Pearl sighed heavily. “I wish I could have done it myself, but I’m not leading the case.”

A smile played on Garnet’s lips, “Yea… You would have done a much better job.”

Pearls head cocked to the side to look at her, “Oh? Whatever happened to ‘you’re not cut out for this job’?”

Garnet let out a low, husky chuckle, “You may change my mind yet, counselor.”

***  
The jury filed back in around noon. They had been deliberating since the early afternoon from the previous day, and Pearl took their timing as a positive sign that maybe there was some hope they would convict. 

Her hopes, however, were for naught. The jury members’ empty eyes stared blankly ahead as the Judge read their verdict of Not Guilty on the count of rape in the second and aggravated sexual assault. There was a loud clap from the defense table, as the two men shook hands in celebration. Maria was present in the gallery, but convinced Yesenia to wait outside again. Pearl dared to look behind and when she met the advocates eyes, her heart sunk. Maria simply shook her head and headed out of the courtroom. 

Pearl had taken a long time to finish stuffing her papers dejectedly back into her briefcase when she heard a sorrowful cry from the other side of the doors. Garnet waited for her by the benches, as this was the only day she sat in on the trial as well. She put her hand on Pearl’s bony shoulder to guide her out, but Pearl felt no comfort from it. 

As she stepped into the hallway, she was immediately yanked back by Garnet. Her arm ached from the force, but that’s not what Pearl was focused on. Yesenia had lunged herself at the prosecutor. Maria tried to hold her back.

“You lied to me!” Yesenia screamed so loud some of the court officers had taken notice and began to come over. 

Maria grabbed her client’s shoulders, “Yesenia, please, the baby,”

“The baby!” Yesenia began cursing Pearl out in Spanish, “You know what that bastard’s lawyer handed me?” She held it up and waved it angrily at Pearl, “He’s suing for custody!”

Pearl couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even think straight as Yesenia kept on yelling, “I have no job! I have no money! How can I raise this baby? He’s saying I’m unfit to be a mother! He was the one who did this to me!”

Pearl swallowed her feelings and responded with a barely audible whisper, “You could file a civil suit… for compensation…”

“Compensation,” Yesenia spat out the word like it was poison, “I don’t want his money! What good is his money to me? I wanted him put away! You were supposed to put him away!” 

Her anger turned to despair as she crumpled in Maria’s arms and sobs began to rake her body. Maria turned her away, looking back once more to shake her head at Pearl, before they were both escorted out by the court officers. 

Luther appeared by Pearl’s side, whispering under her breath. “Maria is going to get her out of the country.”

Pearl looked down at the stout lawyer in alarm, “What did you say?”

“It was always her plan,” Luther cast a sideways glance to make sure no one else was listening, “In case the trial went like this. We knew he was going to come after the baby. They’re getting on a plane tonight. El Salvador.”

Luther strutted away, and Pearl watched after her until Garnet gently coaxed her toward the exit.

***   
Pearl found herself in the airport that night staring at the international departures wing. Her icy blue eyes locked on the screen under terminal 17: Flight to Santa Ana, El Salvador. Departure time: 9:45pm. 

“Pearl? Let’s go.” Garnet called after her from down the opposite walkway. Pearl turned slowly and followed suit, dragging her over-sized suitcase behind her. She wasn’t bringing anything new back from Detroit, but somehow her bag felt much heavier. 

By the time they boarded the plane, Pearl had just gotten off the phone with Martinez. “He figured we would lose.” She explained to Garnet when the detective inquired about their conversation. 

“Why did he send you out here then?” Garnet let Pearl sit by the window this time and watched the back of her shiny hair carefully as she waited for a response.

“I guess he wanted me to get a taste of what it feels like.” Pearl gazed upon the sky line of the city as the rest of the passengers filed into the seating compartment. It was dark outside, and the lights twinkled from the numerous buildings and cars on throughways. 

“What does it taste like then? To lose?” Garnet’s voice was soft.

Pearl took a while to answer. “…Terrible.”

After a while plane began to make its way down the runway and ascend into the sky. Pearl closed her eyes as she rested her head against the back of her seat. She still felt a little queasy from the take-off and found herself clenching her hands tightly. Then she felt something warm and soft encompass her fist. She looked down and found Garnet’s hand resting atop hers. Pearl let her hand fall open and their fingers, both bold and lithe, intertwined delicately. She felt the space between their palms close and her muscles relaxed. Pearl looked back toward the window – the city growing farther and farther away. 

She could feel Garnet’s thumb caressing her own. Pearl realized then that she would be taking back more than just a loss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you guys think of my style changes. Also, if anyone has done spin-off fics from this story, let me know! I would love to read it and see how you guys are inspired the way I was with fellow writers on this site. School will be starting up again shortly, so I don't know how steadily I can continue to upload. However, after this semester I will have graduated (finally!!) with my degree! I will be *hopefully* posting a lot of new content on here, because I love reading and writing. Some of my work will be original and not fan-based. Please support me by checking it out and leaving your opinions and constructive criticisms!


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